By Alphonsa Ohol and Genelia D’Souza for BIS Mumbai

On July 26, 2026, the Youth of Sacred Heart Parish, Yerwada, organised a joyful Grandparents’ Day celebration to honour and appreciate the love, wisdom and invaluable presence of grandparents in our lives. The programme, held at 11 a.m. in the Don Bosco College basement, was filled with joy, music, laughter and togetherness.

The celebration began with a warm welcome by Deacon Sunandan MSFS, who reflected on the lives of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. He beautifully highlighted how grandparents serve as a bridge between the past and the present by passing on faith, values, wisdom and life experiences to future generations.

Fr Gregory D’Cunha, Youth Director, then led the gathering in prayer, entrusting the celebration to God and invoking His blessings upon all the grandparents. This was followed by a meaningful prayer service conducted by the youth, during which they also remembered with love and gratitude those grandparents who had passed away.

Adding colour to the celebration, the youth presented an energetic action song, “Nachunga Gaunga,” inviting the grandparents to join in. Their enthusiastic participation brought smiles to everyone present. A lively dance performance featuring a blend of retro and trending songs further entertained the audience.

The grandparents were then divided into four teams for a series of exciting games. In one activity, they completed famous Bollywood movie dialogues, delighting everyone with their expressions and confidence. Another musical game challenged each team to sing songs based on a given word, creating an atmosphere of fun, laughter and friendly competition. The session concluded with a lively jamming round where everyone sang much-loved retro songs together.

Spot prizes added to the excitement as grandparents completed Bible verses from memory, making the activity both enjoyable and spiritually enriching. Snacks and thoughtful gifts were distributed to all as tokens of love and appreciation.

As part of the preparations, the parish youth had personally visited the homes of the grandparents to invite them, reflecting their affection, care and respect for the elders of the parish.

The programme concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks by Ms Angela Saby, Youth Vice President, who expressed gratitude to the grandparents for their love and blessings and thanked everyone who contributed to the success of the event.

The celebration ended on a joyful note, leaving everyone with cherished memories and a renewed appreciation for the invaluable role grandparents play in every family and in the faith community.