In 2021, Pope Francis established the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly on the fourth Sunday of July. The U.S. bishops subsequently approved the transfer of this celebration in the U.S. to the first weekend after Labor Day to coincide with National Grandparents (and the Elderly) Day in the United States.
In recognition of National Grandparents Day on Sept. 8, 2024, we’re inviting you to look back at what some of our diocese’s joyful missionary disciples have shared about their grandparents’ impact on their journey to holiness.
“My grandma has had a huge impact on my life. She’s helped me become more grounded in my faith and has been an amazing friend when I’ve needed one. I feel like God’s love shines through her and the things she says. Whenever I’m with her, I feel like I’m in God’s presence. Her advice feels like it is coming straight from God, and it helps me out.” —Delaney Childs, age 13
Whenever I’m with her, I feel like I’m in God’s presence. Her advice feels like it is coming straight from God, and it helps me out.”
Delaney Childs
“I was raised Catholic but fell away from the faith for a long time before returning just over a year ago. I am so grateful that my grandparents made sure I was brought into the faith at a young age so that the proper seeds were planted for Jesus to guide me back home. Without their strong Catholic influence in my childhood, I may have never found Jesus and his Church.” —Andrew Sabuda, St. Aloysius, Detroit
“Without their strong Catholic influence in my childhood, I may have never found Jesus and his Church.”
Andrew Sabuda
“There’s nobody like my grandma! I call her ‘Manga!’ We bake together, we play together and we pray together. I’m learning all of my prayers because I’m two and my manga is learning all of her prayers because she became Catholic just one year ago. Now, my Manga tells me about how she goes to something called Adoration to pray for me and my cousins.” —Zachariah Quesnelle, age 2
“My Manga tells me about how she goes to something called Adoration to pray for me and my cousins.”
Zachariah Quesnelle
“My grandmother came to live with us after my grandfather died. I was about 6. She was involved in a number of service projects through St. Michael, Pontiac. She drove a 1951 Buick. No power steering. She was the chauffeur for a number of widowed friends who didn’t drive. Without trying, she was teaching my brother and me that being a generous servant was an excellent thing, even if not particularly easy.” —Msgr. Halfpenny, St. Paul on the Lake, Grosse Pointe Farms
“Without trying, she was teaching my brother and me that being a generous servant was an excellent thing, even if not particularly easy.”
Msgr. Halfpenny
“Most of my earliest faith memories include my grandparents and my great-grandmother, Irene. My great-grandmother, who lived to be 97 and was the matriarch of 130 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, was faithful and active in her Catholic faith until the very end. Her husband died of ALS when her children were very young, but not before the family was visited by Blessed Solanus Casey on multiple occasions. While my great-grandfather wasn’t ‘healed’ and my great-grandmother went through many difficulties and struggles throughout the rest of her life, the miracle that Blessed Solanus Casey brought upon the family was peace and faith.
I have a clear memory of going to Mass with my great-grandmother at The Cathedral (where I am now a parishioner) at two or three years old, praying the rosary with her and grandfather, and my grandparents taking me to visit Bl. Solanus Casey’s tomb at St. Bonaventure at a very early age (to pray for healing of my terrible eczema).
My grandparents and great-grandparents were not only pivotal to my faith journey, their legacy and their faith lives on through me, my siblings and the generations and generations to come. My faith is also a connection to my grandparents and all of the generations of family that came before me. I am so grateful to have my faith and the connection to all of my ancestors through the Eucharist and our Catholic faith.” —Kate Milligan, The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit
“My faith is a connection to my grandparents and all of the generations of family that came before me. I am so grateful to have my faith and the connection to all of my ancestors through the Eucharist and our Catholic faith.”
Kate Milligan
“Grandpa Julius Eigenbauer was my mother’s dad and he drove us to church on Sundays before my parents bought our first car. My special treasure of Grandpa was his teaching me so, so much about carpentry since he was a super-skilled and accurate carpenter. He and his sons built three bedrooms with hardwood flooring, a dormer, a half-bath and two closets in the attic of my parent’s home when I was about eight years old. Yes, I slept up there for years and years!” —Dcn. Paul Mueller, Corpus Christi, Detroit
“Grandpa Julius Eigenbauer was my mother’s dad and he drove us to church on Sundays before my parents bought our first car.”
