"I would now like to say a word to grandparents, who are so important for every family. They can be - and so often are - the guarantors of the affection and tenderness which every human being needs to give and receive. They offer little ones the perspective of time, they are memory and richness of families. In no way should they ever be excluded from the family circle. They are a treasure which the younger generation should not be denied, especially when they bear witness to their faith at the approach of death." 

Address by Pope Benedict XVI at the World Meeting of Families in July 2005

Passing on the Faith is a project to support parents and grandparents. This page offers some ideas and tools for parishes, local pastoral areas and dioceses exploring new ways to provide that support to the 'memory and richness' of families. 

The resources on this page were compiled by a Project Office Intern, Kelsey Clemson, a student at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, in collaboration with the Catholic Grandparents Association and Diocesan Coordinators of Marriage & Family Life Ministry. Read Kelsey's article Wisdom of the Ages (published in The Tablet of 28th May 2011). This is available to download here by kind permission of The Tablet: http://www.thetablet.co.uk  

Grandparents' Pilgrimages | Grandparents' Gatherings | Catholic Grandparents' Association | Useful Links | Find the Catholic Grandparents Association on Facebook  

2011 Grandparents' Pilgrimages in the UK

Saturday, July 16th 2011 Aylesford Priory
Chief Celebrant: Rt Rev John Hine, Chair, Bishops' Committee for Marriage & Family Life

  Poster (.pdf, 234kb)

Tri-fold Brochure (.pdf, 332kb)

For more information please contact: Katherine Bergin (Diocese of Arundel & Brighton); Phil Butcher (Diocese of Brentwood); Philip Pond (Archdiocese of Southwark) 

Saturday, July 23rd 2011 Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Chief Celebrant: Rt Rev Brian Noble, Bishop Emeritus, Shrewsbury Diocese

Poster (.pdf, 223kb)

For more information please visit: www.catholicgrandparentsassociation.com 

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Grandparents' Gatherings: Places of Trust, Prayer, Community, and Support

"The Catholic Grandparents Association is for grandparents. Its goals are to  support all grandparents in:

• acknowledging their vital role in the family

• developing loving relationships with their grandchildren

• handing on their faith to a younger generation

• striving toward these aims within a community centred on prayer

Each branch is intended to address the needs of its members. That means the suggestions given in this handbook are simply that—suggestions. We encourage you to allow your Gathering Group to develop into an organic, sincere, and supportive group. Keep your group focused on prayer, on recalling your vocation as a grandparent, on your love of God, and on your desire to pass your faith onto your grandchildren. Allow your community to be one of welcome, support, trust, and prayer. Tailor your gatherings to support these goals. Do not feel restricted by the recommendations in this handbook. Instead consider them a starting point and make any adjustments to best fit the needs of your group."

A Handbook for Grandparents' Gatherings (.pdf, 186 kb)

A Registration Form for your Group (MS Word, 13kb)

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Catholic Grandparents' Association

In April 2010 Bishop Hine, Chair of the Bishops’ Committee for Marriage and Family Life met with Catherine Wiley of the Catholic Grandparents’ Association to learn more about the CGA and to explore how the Project Office might assist her efforts to support grandparents in passing on faith in God to their grandchildren, particularly through organising Grandparents’ Pilgrimages and developing parish-based grandparents groups. During Listening 2004 many grandparents described an inordinate amount of grief at the 'loss' of their grandchildren to the community of faith. Grandparent Gatherings seemed to be a positive step towards creating time and space for grandparents to air and share their concerns and experiences. 

In October 2010 Mrs Wiley addressed the national meeting of Diocesan Coordinators of Marriage & Family Life Ministry and as a result two Grandparents' Pilgrimages will now take place in England and Wales in 2011.  In Spring 2011 the Project Office enjoyed the services of an intern from the University of Notre Dame, Kelsey Clemson, who was commissioned to liaise with the CGA on their plans for Grandparents' Pilgrimages in 2011, to research the availability of resources for grandparents in the area of religious, spiritual and faith formation in families and to manage the refinement of a draft handbook for parish-based Grandparents' Gatherings in consultation with members of the Passing on the Faith working group, the diocesan family ministry network and the CGA. 

Catherine Wiley is currently also supporting the dioceses of Arundel & Brighton and Clifton as they host workshops to explore developing practical support for grandparents locally.

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Links 

Helpful Organisations:

Grandparents Plus: http://grandparentsplus.org.uk/

The Grandparents Association: www.grandparents-association.org.uk/index.php

Grannynet: www.grannynet.co.uk/

Grandparents Apart: www.grandparentsapart.co.uk/

Grandparents as Parents: www.grandparentsasparents.org.uk/ 

Articles and Reports:

Grandparents as Spiritual Guides (An inter-faith family persepctive): www.interfaithfamily.com/relationships/grandparenting/Grandparents_as_Spiritual_Guides_for_the_Family.shtml

Spiritual Resources for Grandparents' Day: www.spiritualityandpractice.com/days/features.php?id=20226

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Catholic Grandparents Association Facebook page

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