Aging Can Be a Time of Great Grace

With the goal of serving the needs of senior citizens within our communities, the Catholic Foundation of Maine presented the first annual Aging with Grace seminar on October 3 at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Portland.
"Although we know there are struggles that can come with aging, it can also be a time of great grace and growing closer to God, and that is what we hope to help seniors and their families discover," says Elizabeth Badger, executive director of the foundation. "The elderly have great gifts to bring to our churches and our communities."
The Aging with Grace event was organized under the leadership of Father Paul Sullivan, SJ, pastor of Our Lady of Hope, who was also the first presenter. During his discussion on the "Spirituality of Aging," he shared some of the wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, who said that God is creating us each day.
"Not the usual 'God created me," but 'God is creating me.' And the experience and process of aging is very much part of this creativity activity--not a winding down but a creating, and in Christian faith and hope, a creating for yet something else that is new," Father Sullivan says. "Really seeing the importance of the present and the presence of God in that present, that is a key gift of the perspective that aging can bring."
In addition to Father Sullivan, attendees heard from Madelyn Breerwood, a trust and estates lawyer who spoke about bequests, how to update your will, powers of attorney, and advance directives. Patricia Scott, a physical therapist who attends the Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth, discussed how to prevent falls in your home and other health concerns related to aging. And Elizabeth shared information about endowments and leaving a lasting legacy through the Catholic Foundation of Maine.
"Many people are not aware of the many ministries that benefit from funds established through the foundation, and this was an opportunity to share that with them," she says. "Establishing an endowment is easier than people sometimes realize."
Along with Father Sullivan, the foundation would like to thank Mary Cafazzo, the Our Lady of Hope business coordinator, as well as the Our Lady of Hope Sodality and Our Lady of Hope Women's Fellowship for their help organizing the event.
The Catholic Foundation of Maine is happy to work with parishes to organize similar Aging with Grace events.