The Parish of Christ the King in Tanah Jawa in Indonesia celebrated the elderly as “pillars of prayer and keepers of faith values” in a special gathering in July that combined worship, health care, and community fellowship.
A total of 257 senior citizens from various outstations attended the event, many arriving “with slow steps but faces radiant with joy,” accompanied by volunteers.
The day began with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr. Parlindungan Sinaga and concelebrated by Fr. Martin Marbun.
In his homily, Fr. Marbun encouraged the elderly to remain active in faith and hope. “Old age is not the time to stop dreaming,” he said.
“On the contrary, it is a time to keep bearing fruit, to become role models, and to bring hope to the younger generation,” the priest added. He also emphasized the Church’s call, rooted in Amoris Laetitia (191–193), to “truly reach out and listen, with love that upholds their dignity.”
Following the Mass, a health seminar on “Hypertension in the Elderly” was held by medical professionals from Harapan Hospital in Pematang Siantar, in partnership with local health centers in Hatonduhan and Tanah Jawa.
Dr. Evelin Simarmata, Director of Harapan Hospital, joined the team as elderly participants received check-ups in “a warm atmosphere filled with smiles and heartfelt greetings.”
The event concluded with the distribution of tokens of appreciation. For organizers, the gesture was “not in the value of the items themselves, but in the gratitude they symbolized—for the role these elders play as guardians of faith within their families and communities.”
Mr. Suhut Purba, 78, from the Outstation of the Assumption of Mary – Rintis V, expressed his joy: “I feel happy and touched. It feels like being welcomed back by the Church—given strength to keep being grateful and to keep dreaming, even at this age.”
As the parish highlighted, the program was “more than an annual agenda—it is the living face of a caring Church,” bridging generations and affirming that “the elderly are the living memory of families and communities.”
