In 2021, Pope Francis called for a "World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly" to be observed each year. While most of the world celebrates this in July, the United States has a custom of celebrating Grandparents day on the weekend following Labor Day. In 2023, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved that our local observance of Grandparents Day be consistent with the September tradition of this holiday. 

Parishes, Schools, and families are invited to participate in this special day during the first weekend after Labor Day, in September.

The Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated on Sunday, July 23. The theme chosen by the Holy Father is “His mercy is from age to age” (Lk 1:50), which expresses the link with World Youth Day which will take place a few days later in Lisbon (1-6 August 2023).

The WYD theme “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39) shows us, in fact, the young Mary who sets out to go and find her elderly cousin Elizabeth and who loudly proclaims, in the Magnificat, the strength of the alliance between young and old.

On the occasion of the Day, the Holy Father will preside over a Eucharistic liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica and invites parishes, dioceses, associations and ecclesial communities from all over the world to celebrate the Day in their own pastoral context.