{"id":73505,"date":"2025-07-13T17:53:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T15:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdipime.org\/?p=73505"},"modified":"2025-07-13T17:53:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T15:53:07","slug":"with-the-elderly-a-journey-of-hope-that-comes-from-listening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdipime.org\/en\/missionary-life\/with-the-elderly-a-journey-of-hope-that-comes-from-listening\/","title":{"rendered":"With the elderly, a journey of hope that comes from listening"},"content":{"rendered":"

Almost coinciding with the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee, after having reflected in the community on the bull of indiction Spes non confundit<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>with Sr. Ursula I started a small pastoral activity with the elderly at a retirement home, not far from our community in Torre Gaia, Rome.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis\u2019 words on the paths of hope <\/strong>and the signs of the Kingdom <\/strong>outlined in the document have resonated deeply in us, calling for a concrete response:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe elderly, who often experience lonliness and a sense of abandonment, deserve signs of hope\u201d.<\/p>\n

Without a definitive plan, but drivern by the desire to respond to that silent cry of lonliness <\/strong>that was already reaching us from several elderly people in the \u00a0neighbourhood, we took the first step. And, as often happens, walking opens up paths. <\/strong>We experienced it once again.<\/p>\n

The weekly visit, consisting of listening and companionship, <\/strong>was soon joined by a monthly celebration of the Eucharist, <\/strong>a shared Way of the Cross <\/strong>during Lent, followed by the possibility of sacramental confession. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Leandro, of the Missionari Servi dei Poveri<\/em><\/strong>, immediately showed himself available to collaborate with fraternal generosity.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For the month of May we are organizing a community rosary, <\/strong>during which we will offer Mary a crown made with paper roses<\/strong>, prepared \u2013 where possible \u2013 also with the help of our elders.<\/p>\n

    Now, prayer and in mind, new names and faces <\/strong>crowd in. <\/strong>A feeling of tenderness and respect <\/strong>grows within us for such fragility, <\/strong>for the profound need for attention and affection.<\/p>\n

    And it is precisely here that Christian hope <\/strong>takes concrete form: in the joy of listening to stories of life, <\/strong>which time had veiled and which, <\/strong>thanks to empathic listening, come back to life, reawakening emotions, feelings and \u2013 sometimes- even old wounds, which however can be healed.<\/p>\n

    I see hope in their faces <\/strong>every time we bring them a flower, a sacred image, a\u00a0 prayer as a gift on their birthdays.<\/p>\n

    I see hope in their smile when they ask us to come back a sign of their appreciation, but also of the profound need for presence and care. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Even relatives <\/strong>encourage us: we see how often they visit their loved ones and how sensitively <\/strong>they accompany them. This makes us think that, despite the desire of many to continue living with their families or independently, the guests of this facility \u2013 <\/strong>small, almost family-run establishment \u2013 <\/strong>still feel welcomed and not abandoned. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Finally, we are encouraged by the acceptance of the management status, <\/strong>which values the spiritual assistance <\/strong>we offer and recognizes the improtance of Christian testimony <\/strong>in the daily lives of the elderly. A discreet presence, but rich in meaning, capable of recognizing and safeguarding the wisdom of life <\/strong>that the elderly carry with them.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Sr. Angela Corno, Roma<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A pastoral experience with the elderly in Torre Gaia, marked by listening, prayer and small gestures of hope, just in conjunction with the Jubilee 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":73009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow8ovLDA:productID":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[1175,1231,1230],"class_list":["post-73505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-missionary-life","tag-hopetelling","tag-italy","tag-speranza-en"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t