In church, a young boy tugged at his mom's sleeves and, with a curious tilt of his head, asked, "Why are all of them so old?" He was referring to a group of collectors who had just begun passing the basket during the Offertory.
With keen observation, it didn't escape the boy's notice that the priest's "support staff" — lay ministers, collectors, and lectors — were predominantly older ones.
Indeed, it’s true. We scarcely see younger ones — or, at the very least, those not yet in their retirement years — actively taking on such roles. In my days, many years ago, altar servers were mostly gradeschoolers. The rest were mid-aged. The elderly parishioners, who were church regulars, always occupied the first pews.
My father, a retired lawyer, was 70 years old when he vowed to serve his parish church as an unpaid volunteer "for as long as God wills." Rain or shine, he woke up at 430 in the morning, opened the church, and prepared what the priest would need for the first mass at 615. What more? After the mass, our patriarch regularly led the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Only those who do not have anywhere else to go stayed for the blessing.
Father was already 94 when he stopped his daily church duties. Unfortunately, one morning, he accidentally slid down the church steps in the performance of his self-professed encumbrance.
Sanctuary For The Elderly
Come to think of it, senior citizens often turn to the church or become more religious for a variety of interconnected reasons. These can be due to socio-psychological and manifest factors.
We have to understand their motivations to turn to the church much like a sanctuary. The role of religion in the lives of the elderly has an impact on society, too.
As people age, there is shrinkage in their social circles. Their peers have either relocated or gone to the Great Beyond.
For the older folks, the church offers a sense of community and belonging that can mitigate feelings of loneliness and isolation. Their attendance at religious services and participation in church activities provide opportunities for social interaction, for their own mental and emotional well-being.
Many parishes create specific programs for senior citizens — Bible study groups, social outings, and volunteer opportunities. These not only foster social connections but also give seniors a sense of purpose, a way to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Comfort and Stability
In the face of the many changes and challenges that come with aging, religion offers comfort and stability. These include coping with difficulties due to declining health, dependence, and the death of a partner and close friends.
The elderly turn to prayer and other religious activities to unburden them of stress and get a sense of belonging, reassurance, and peace. For many senior citizens, religion answers profound questions on their extended existence and mortality, providing hope or motivation to live longer and to help them face life with greater equanimity.
For many senior citizens, they believe it is also time to return to the religious practices of their youth. At this stage in life, they may feel a stronger pull to reconnect with their roots and old friends and the religious practices that were a part of their upbringing.
Filling The Emptiness
Do we care if the elderly among us are happy or lonely?
Children and younger members of the family may not be discerning enough to notice how their seniors truly feel and what they really want to do. Truly, the generation gap and differing mindset become evident.
Even with children and grandchildren around, the seniors could not help but feel different, isolated and forlorn. A little more understanding for the demeanor and way of thinking of the older generation is in order.
To fill in the emptiness in this stage of their life, they turn to the church for social, psychological and moral support.
Let's be more compassionate and kinder to the elderly.
(email opinyon.luchie@gmail.com, luchiearguelles@yahoo.com)
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