Marco Carvalho
In the latter part of June, Macau’s Diocesan Youth Commission organized visits for two groups of local young people to nursing homes operated by Caritas Macau. The experiences aimed to foster intergenerational dialogue and enhance respect for the elderly.
Encourage dialogue between different generations and promote greater appreciation of the elderly. This was the primary goal that directed the two visits to nursing homes organized by the Diocesan Youth Commission in late June. Two groups of youth, consisting of high school and university students, embraced the challenge that was presented to them and visited the nursing homes run by Caritas in Mong Ha and Seac Pai Van.
The first of the two visits took place on June, 14th. A group of approximately a dozen young volunteers, along with members of the Diocesan Youth Commission, visited the residents of the Saint Francis Xavier Elderly Home in Mong Ha. The initiative offered the young visitors the chance to experience the daily operations of the nursing home, and the care provided to the elderly: “We organized the participants into two groups. One group consisted of about ten long-term young volunteers who visited the Caritas nursing home in Mong Ha”, Tammy Chio told “O Clarim”. “Every year, this group establishes an annual work plan, with a handful of pre-defined activities. These activities not only help them better understand the society they live in but also enable them to offer a positive contribution to society. This time on, the activity that was planned was a visit to Caritas’ nursing home in Mong Ha”, the vice-director of the Diocesan Youth Commission added.
On June 21st, a second group of youngsters, shepherded by Tammy Chio, made their way to Seac Pai Van with a similar purpose. Their visit to the Caritas facilities in Coloane aimed to achieve the same goals, but with a unique perspective: “On Saturday, June 21st, I accompanied a group of young people to the Caritas Nursing Home, in Seac Pai Van. This initiative was organized as part of the Holy Year celebrations in Macau. The majority of the young participants were Catholics. The approach was somewhat different, particularly because they embarked on this visit with a sense of mission, intending to contribute positively to society,” Tammy Chio Chu Cheng explained.
For the elderly residing at the Saint Francis Xavier Nursing Home and at the Caritas retirement home, in Seac Pai Van, what began as an ordinary day, transformed into an opportunity to talk, socialize and share personal memories. The young volunteers infused the two nursing homes with their youthful energy. In return, the elderly shared their life stories and the wisdom gained from witnessing the world undergo countless changes: “The youngsters engaged with the elderly, listened to their stories and gained important insights about their life journeys”, the vice-director of the Diocesan Youth Commission told “O Clarim”. “Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of establishing a renewed alliance between the elderly and the younger generations. By visiting these two nursing homes, our aim was to show the younger generations the importance of listening, learning and growing alongside the older generations. This shouldn’t be done out of a sense of obligation, but rather out of a genuine desire to spend time with them and to hear the stories they wish to share”, Tammy Chio concludes.
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