Loving the Elderly

The elderly have much to give us: there is the wisdom of life. They have much to teach us (Pope Francis).

This month of July, our Holy Father is urging Christians around the world to pray for the elderly.  In various addresses during his pontificate, he has encouraged intergenerational exchanges, where young and old gain wisdom from each other:

Today, we need a new covenant between young and old. We need to share the treasure of life, to dream together, to overcome conflicts between generations and to prepare a future for everyone. Without such a covenantal sharing of life, dreams and future, we risk dying of hunger, as broken relationships, loneliness, selfishness and the forces of disintegration gradually increase.

He has lamented our “throw-away culture,” wherein the elderly are no longer seen as having value and worth.

This month is a beautiful time for us who work with the elderly when more people who stand at a distance are re-alerted to the importance of this ministry.

For, Pope Francis admonishes us that “A long life – so the Bible teaches – is a blessing, and the elderly are not outcasts to be shunned but living signs of the goodness of God who bestows life in abundance.”

Caring for the elderly has long been important in the Church.  Back in biblical times, elderly individuals made their way into the pages of scripture.  The Sacred Authors thought enough of their significance to recount their stories.  We think of Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Job, Jacob, Simeon, Anna, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and others.

Tradition tells us of another elderly couple who, sadly remained childless.  One evening, as the legend goes, they were both separately informed by heavenly messengers that they would soon be parents.  We know this couple today by the names of St. Joachim and St. Anne.

As a matter of fact, St. Anne is the patron saint of the facility where I serve, and their feast day is this month!  Under her patronage, our Sisters have served the elderly and disabled in eastern North Dakota for nearly eighty years!  Our home has quite the history!

It all started on November 12, 1944, when a home was opened in Fargo, ND by the Catholic Welfare Bureau (now Catholic Charities).  Nine months later, in August of 1945, the Franciscan Sisters from Hankinson, ND, took over the house, serving homeless men who had been accustomed to “riding the rails” from place to place, but whose health no longer allowed them to maintain this lifestyle.

In the early 1950s, there was a definite need for such a home for the needy elderly.  However, the Fargo location was only large enough to house twenty men.  Thus it was the Bishop who urged the Franciscan Sisters to relocate.  In Grand Forks, the St. Michael’s Hospital building, located along the Red River, was no longer adequate to serve as a hospital.  So, the Sisters who had been serving at the Fargo location moved the twelve men in their care to the new site in Grand Forks (about 80 miles north).  They lovingly referred to them as their “twelve apostles.”  The number of people at the home increased over time, even up to 120 residents.

By 1978, however, the building was no longer up to fire codes.  The Sisters were faced with the decision of closing the mission or moving to a new location once again.  The latter option was chosen, and renovations were undertaken at a former teaching Sisters’ convent.  An additional wing was added to the building to provide subsidized housing.  In 1981, the move was made to the current location of St. Anne’s.

The Home continues to serve elderly and disabled individuals from various backgrounds.  Many of these people have little or no family involvement.  The Sisters and staff become like family to them, striving to embody the Church’s love for the elderly and disabled which is so key to our faith, as Jesus said, “Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me.”

PS:  On July 26th, the feast of St. Anne, we’ll be having a Matching Gift Challenge, where donations given on count double!