A four-priest concelebrated High Mass, an evening that witnessed everyone extolling the vital roles of grandparents and an enthusiastic participation by parishioners of all ages for a special gathering marked the Feast of St Joachim and St Anne that was celebrated as the first-ever Grandparents Day on 26 July 2010 at St Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai.
Parish Priest Rev Fr Tomasito, main celebrant of the Eucharistic celebration, in his homily emphasized the saintly lives of the grandparents of Jesus Christ and said: "You know the tree by its fruits and the fruit by its tree."
A model for everyone, the parents of Blessed Virgin Mary were faithful and dutiful folks, for they trained their daughter in the faith of Abraham, in the Mosaic Law, in the Scriptures, in prayer and in charity, as we can make out from the words and deeds of Mary, her visit to Elizabeth, her Magnificat, and her role at the wedding of Canaa.
Calling for upholding family values, Fr Tomasito said the Christian family values have remained the same even though generations have gone by. He added that Attitudes may be different, characteristics may vary and cultures could be divergent, but good moral values have remained the same over the centuries.
"Grandparents continue to inspire every generation especially the grandchildren through their love and affection, while contributing significantly to the society by their role in raising God-fearing Christians", he said.
The Celebrant commended the family ministry, the music ministry as well as other ministries while all grandparents received special applauds after the homily.
The special evening gathering at the Parish Main Hall after the Holy Mass saw grandparents and grandchildren jiving their way around in tune with some age-old but memorable numbers. The large group of grand couples danced as their children and their children's children cheered them around.
Fr Tomasito offered his personal touch to the evening's audience and reminisced how emotionally close he was to his grandmother who was present when he took his priestly vows but passed away just before his ordination in 1990. He recollected his childhood days at his grandmother's and the extent of her influence in his personal and spiritual life.
The evening was compered by Joachim Quadra and was filled with exciting games and spot prizes. The coveted spot prize for a 'Great Grandfather' went to former Liturgical Coordinator Fred Ellis who proudly announced he has two great grandchildren and 16 grandchildren. Raymond and Carol Rodriguez won for being the 'Longest Married Couple' having completed 55 years of togetherness. A 'bread-butter-jam-musical chair' game enthralled the audience with a large number of participants. The winning team was duly awarded for its persistence.
An exclusive presentation brought the audience images of some grandparents in the parish while three grandmas who continue to be as presentable as they used to be in their prime received special awards from none other than the Parish Priest himself. Garnet Poppen offered a glimpse of their happy days as grandparents while Mikhail Pinto elucidated how fortunate children are, especially he himself, to have wonderful grandparents
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The memorable evening for all the parishioners came to a grand conclusion with Mr & Mrs Hernan Fuentes giving the vote of thanks, highlighting the roles played by all ministries and volunteers. The grandparents of St Mary's Parish were really a privileged lot to have celebrated a dedicated day for themselves among such a large congregation.
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