Last Sunday, 27 July, the Fifth World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly was celebrated under the slogan “Blessed are those who have not lost hope”, a day illuminated by Pope Leo XIV’s message entitled “Happy are those who do not see their hope fade away” (Si 14:2).

In his message, the Holy Father reminded us that old age is not a time to be discarded, but rather a fruitful space for faith, memory and hope. And it is in his words — ‘visiting the elderly who are alone is a work of mercy in our time’ — that we see reflected the very heart of our charism, a concrete, simple and evangelical gesture: accompanying the elderly and those who are alone.

As Angelic Religious, born from the merciful heart of Jesus and inspired by Saint Genoveva Torres Morales, we walk alongside all these people in silence and humility, but also with a deep joy that comes from the personal encounter with those who bear the weight of the years and the emptiness of absence.

In our residences throughout Spain, we strive not only to care for our residents, but also to accompany them with tenderness, respect and attentiveness, welcoming each new resident as a gift: someone with a history, with wounds, with questions, and also with a deep desire to be looked upon with love.

In this sense, the Pope asks us through his message for a ‘revolution of care.’ A revolution that we already experience every day in our daily lives: by caring, by praying, by holding a trembling hand, or simply by sharing a conversation. A revolution that is not about grand speeches, but about being there, staying there, and making each person feel that they are still a living part of the body of Christ.

Therefore, on this World Day, we confirm once again our vocation. A vocation that remains steadfast in a world that often ignores or silences old age, and in which we want to continue to say with our lives that every elderly person is a treasure for the Church and a sacrament of God’s tenderness. In this way, we continue to be a source of comfort in loneliness, and we do so with hope, because — as the Pope says — we must ‘look to grandparents and older people as witnesses of hope capable of illuminating the path of new generations.’

You can find out more about our residences here: https://angelicas.es/en/angelicas-residence/?_gl=1*1lmr4zt*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTMzODU1OTM2Ni4xNzU2MTk0Nzgy*_ga_L6KFBH9GRC*czE3NTYxOTQ3ODEkbzEkZzEkdDE3NTYxOTQ4MDQkajM3JGwwJGg1NTQxMjgxMjc.