Seniors encouraged to continue sharing love, faith with youth

A diverse, invaluable resource filled the meeting room inside the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, a resource that had taken many decades to come to fruition – scores of senior citizens from throughout the Diocese of Metuchen eager to share their knowledge of, and love for, the Catholic faith with those of younger generations. The young woman standing before them issued a clarion call to action.

“It is more crucial than ever for all living generations to stay as close to each other as possible and practice the faith,” declared Erin Younkins, keynote speaker at the Day for Grandparents and Seniors held July 26 in the Piscataway Chancery.

Sponsored by the diocesan Offices of Human Life and Dignity and Family Life and held on the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the program offered a mix of fellowship, breakfast, Adoration, Younkins’ keynote and a concluding Mass celebrated by Father Jonathan Toborowsky, diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia.

Bishop James F. Checchio shared some boyhood memories about his grandmother and great grandmother which had the audience both smiling – “We sat on the porch, and she taught us prayers in German” – and chuckling with recognition – “We had an ‘in’ every time the ice cream truck went by.”

Reflecting upon the day’s Gospel reading from St. Matthew about the sower and the seed, the Bishop reminded the seniors of their important role in the faith journeys of their grandchildren.

“As you probably know, I spent 12 1/2 years in Rome as [rector of the Pontifical North American College] at the Vatican, and 490 men were ordained as priests while I was there,” Bishop Checchio said. “So many of them said it was their grandparents’ faith which inspired them. To our priests in parishes, you are our spiritual grandparents. You play such an important role in our society Thanks for all you do.”

Father Toborowsky echoed the Bishop’s appreciation during his homily, advising the congregation of seniors to “show perseverance if your kids or grandkids don’t go to Mass or think their faith is an important part of their lives. Pray they will turn to God. God will give us what we need to be strong,” he said.

Keynote speaker Younkins is the director of Life, Justice and Peace in the Institute for Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Before working for the Church, the 41-year-old married mother of seven children had been an occupational therapist for 19 years, focusing on geriatric patients and those with dementia. In her presentation entitled “His Mercy is from Age to Age,” Younkins shared lessons of love and faith she had learned from her patients and other senior citizens.

“We are at a pivotal moment in time … There may never have been a harder time to be a parent, and one of the hardest times to be a child, because for the first time, the whole world has access to your child,” she said, due to the Internet and electronic devices. “The children are the victims. Media is a constant barrage fostering self-loathing in insidious and relentless ways.”

One in three teens have no faith at all, and society today does not support faith nor a wholesome culture, she said, “but there is good news: the Word made flesh. We have an unchanged mission, the same from generation to generation. Start by going home and loving your family. Show them bravery, honesty, authenticity and joy.”

Younkins concluded, “The oldest generation among us will lead the way by saying to the youth: ‘You are worth the fight, we believe in you, and you are born for this.’ We need to hear that … God comes to us in the context of family.”