The Favorite – Grandfather and Grandson, by Georgios Jakobides (1890) Wikipedia

September 7 marks Grandparents Day in the US. Do Something grand for them. Some of us are blessed with grandparents who are still living. Others never knew their grandparents and perhaps not next to nothing about them. Little is known about the grandparents of Sts. Vincent and Louise.

Whether living or dead, known or unknown today would be a good time to give thanks for these people without whom we would not have our parents… and without whom we would not be.

“How precious is the family as the privileged place for transmitting the faith,” the pope said. “How important grandparents are for family life.” Catholic News

Pope Francis writes… “We pray for our grandfathers, our grandmothers, who often have had a heroic role in the transmission of the faith in times of persecution. … Let us ask for the grace to cherish, to listen to and venerate our elderly, our grandparents.”

To reinforce this he is holding a special audience September 28 to celebrate grandparents and the elderly.

How do we respect the elderly in our Vincentian Families?

For the genealogically minded among us some questions…

• Who were the grandparents of Jesus?
• Who were the grandparents of St. Vincent? … St. Louise? … The many founders and foundresses of the various branches of the Vincentian Family.

(Update: Images of DC “grandmothers” (Mothers General)
http://www.pinterest.com/heydonhouse/superioress-generaldaughters-of-charity-of-st-vinc/

For more information on ways to celebrate grandparents Do Something grand for them.