In April we were happy to welcome a group of high school students from St. Viator’s High School. Under the leadership of Chris Meehan, class of 2014, they compiled a booklet, The Wisdom of Our Elders, with the wisdom they gleaned after having interviewed several of our Residents over the school year. Chris’ “hope and prayer” was “that through this project we will improve the lives of the elderly in our community first by providing companionship and building meaningful relationships with them. Additionally, we hope to broaden our own understanding of elder-related issues, to support and protect the dignity of elders in our community, and to preserve their wisdom, knowledge, and guidance as our inheritance, as something to be treasured. I want society to view our elders as a blessing rather than a nuisance. I want society to embrace the wisdom of our elders so that we in turn can pass on that wisdom to our children and grandchildren when we become old.”
St. Jeanne Jugan would agree Chris and the St. Viator students, whole-heartedly! And, so would our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who said to the Cardinals soon after his election: “Old age, they say, is the seat of wisdom. …The old ones have the wisdom that they have earned from walking through life. … Let us give the youth the wisdom of our lives.”
Judging from what the students wrote it appears that our Residents did exactly that! Here are some excerpts from the booklet:
“As humans age, we begin to look different, see… hear … and think differently, but there is one thing that stays the same: we are all human. As a child who has few memories of his grandparents when they were alive, I went into this project nervous and a little scared. Questions were running through my head: Would I be able to establish a connection with them? Will they be bothered by a random teenager interrogating them? What would we talk about for an hour? All these questions were quelled at our first visit during a game of bingo. The elders and us (the kids), joked, talked about their lives, and enjoyed each other’s company. It opened my eyes.” Matt Lanus
“As humans age, we begin to look different, see… hear … and think differently, but there is one thing that stays the same: we are all human. As a child who has few memories of his grandparents when they were alive, I went into this project nervous and a little scared. Questions were running through my head: Would I be able to establish a connection with them? Will they be bothered by a random teenager interrogating them? What would we talk about for an hour? All these questions were quelled at our first visit during a game of bingo. The elders and us (the kids), joked, talked about their lives, and enjoyed each other’s company. It opened my eyes.” Matt Lanus
“Bonding with the Residents really did prove to me that the elderly should be treated with dignity because they are some of the wisest people around. If we listen to them, we can learn from them, because even though they grew up in an entirely different generation, some things never change. It is amazing to think that the Residents have lived during times that I only learn about in history class. Eva was born before World War I, while Rose grew up during the Great Depression and World War Two.” Clare Hannon
“The most important thing I’ve taken away from this experience is that regardless of age, people always have something left to teach. Personally, I haven’t spent much time with the elderly prior to the project. I was surprised that having a conversation with Rose was like talking to a friend…. I will never know the hardships people endured to gain my freedom. Through Rose I learned that I couldn’t just take my freedom and my gifts as rights, but as privileges, and to help those who aren’t privileged. I think that the main point of this project was the life and dignity of the human person.” Rebecca Fahy
“Joe provided me with a completely new perspective on elderly people primarily because his experiences are similar to mine in countless ways. …Although Joe and I are from different backgrounds, generations, and families, his life experiences connected directly with my own experiences and struggles. I began to share my own stories…Joe eventually made me realize that age alone is not a barrier that should divide generations from sharing time and wisdom with each other.” Jonathan Meehan“Not only did these sessions provide me with great insights and lessons, but I also saw many Catholic Social Teachings brought to life. I believe the entire basis for this project was to ensure the Life and Dignity of the Human Person. Chris Meehan, the creator of the project, called all participants to build the foundation of a morally sound society by acknowledging the sacredness of all life. This includes the sacredness of the elderly. Time in no way affects the value of life. From natural beginning to natural end, life is life. This experience with Joe has shown me that people who have lived many years have wisdom, advice, and plenty of stories to offer. We cannot overlook the value of what the elderly have to say. We need to treat them with the respect that we hope to be treated with once we reach that age. Everyone has a story – a story worth being told. …Joe reminded me the depth that lies behind every person’s eyes, and the attention each human being deserves. Joe’s story also revealed to me the Call to Family, Community, and Participation. Never have I met someone who cares so much about his family, and who so readily treats others like members of his family as well. Joe thrives on family-centered life. Joe has taught me to be grateful, live in the moment, and always have the heart of a Lion.” (St. Viator’s school mascot) Molly Ziegler
“If Wilmer was not talking about religion, she was talking about her family. …When she went to Church, everybody knew everybody. It was not an individual act, but a communal one that involves the whole parish. To be connected with everyone is often a foreign topic in today’s society; the computers in our pockets and the ability to contact one another instantaneously have decreased the level of closeness people were once able to feel and experience. We can often be engrossed with ourselves, but we need to remember that family, whether it be immediate, extended, or communal is just as, if not more, important than we are.” Mary Claire Bannon“The most
profound piece of advice I learned from Brother Stanley who spent fifty years ministering to the people in Zambia, Africa…was to preach by example and to do what comes naturally… and know that whatever you do is in God’s plan. Bro. Stanley exercised this belief during his life as he traveled all over the world helping others. He recognized that every person has the right to life’s decencies and that we each have a responsibility to ourselves, to our community and to God.” Matthew Fitzgerald and Anna Ptacin
“Beverly is a role model to me. She is extremely independent but also a woman of God. She inspires me to reach out to others who need help. …She has changed my perspective on life for the good.” Fiona Dolce
“It is not that often when we as humans, especially as teenagers, receive the opportunity to communicate and hold intelligent discussions with people separated from us by almost a century of time, and this is precisely what this project does. In a world ruled by technological interactions, face to face communication is slowly becoming a lost art….This is just one of the topics I discussed with Beverly, a 97 year old woman who wants nothing more for the world then for everyone to live in peace….Even at an age closing in on one hundred years, she is able to give herself purpose. I cannot describe in words how inspiring this was to me. Many people of today’s world, including my generation, live life as if they have no drive or purpose, but our lives are easy in comparison. Beverly is a woman who cannot walk and has limited access to the technology that makes all of our lives easier and yet she has more self-worth than 98% of all the people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Though we may be separated by almost a century of age, me and Beverly’s life are surprisingly similar, or at least when she was my age.” “Perhaps time doesn’t make a huge difference after all, perhaps we are all more similar then we first thought, perhaps we all have the same basic human dignities. The Catholic Social Teachings tell us that not only does every person hold the same dignity and value as the next, which is enormous, but it also tells us that we all have the responsibility as humans to participate in our society, share our valuable insights, and work to create a better world. We can’t forget that this applies to every single person in society, this includes our elders.” Sean Culm
The Wisdom of Our Elders