Founder of Catholic Grandparents Association meets Pope Francis

Catherine Wiley with Pope Francis

Catherine Wiley, Founder of the Catholic Grandparents Association had the opportunity last weekend to meet with His Holiness Pope Francis and to briefly share with him the story of the Catholic Grandparents Association.

Ms Wiley was in Rome to take part in a two-day Year of Faith event at the Vatican for Movements and Lay Associations in the Catholic Church.

Commenting on her meeting with Pope Francis, Ms Wiley said: “I feel very blessed, honoured and emotional to have met our Holy Father Pope Francis. I brought him greetings from the grandparents of Ireland and the grandparents of the world. I thanked him for his support and great encouragement to grandparents and families. I asked Saint Joachim and Saint Anne - the Grandparents of Jesus to bless him all the days of his life.

“In his homily Pope Francis spoke about grandparents and the great love he had for his own Grandmother Rosa, who taught him his faith. In doing so he has empowered and enabled grandparents all over the world. He has also encouraged us in our mission as the Catholic Grandparents Association, which is to help Grandparents to pass on the faith to their grandchildren and to value and support them in this important role.”

The Catholic Grandparents Association was just one of many organisations who were in Rome to take part in this two-day meeting as part of the Year of Faith. A number of individuals from these groups were selected, from around the World, to be introduced to the Holy Father.

The mission of the CGA is to assist grandparents in passing on the faith to the generations that come after them. The cornerstone of the CGA is the hosting of pilgrimages to honour and thank Saint Joachim and Saint Anne the Grandparents of Jesus and all grandparents down through the ages for all they have done for us particularly in passing on our faith. There are now CGA pilgrimages all over the World.

Some of the CGA National Grandparents Pilgrimages taking place this year:

Knock Shrine: Sunday 8 September; Aylesford: 13 July and Walsingham: 28 July 

For information on the Catholic Grandparents Association please see www.catholicgrandparentsassociation.com