Grandly co-founder and director Pili Abouchaar (right) discusses the apostolate's work with grandparents on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" on June 4, 2025. / Credit: "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly"/ScreenshotWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA)."What if the most important thing that God wants you to do is still in front of you, and that is passing on the faith to your grandchildren?" That's the proposition Pili Abouchaar focuses on as co-founder and director of Grandly, an apostolate dedicated to helping grandparents do just that.In an interview on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly," Abouchaar acknowledged that grandparents often feel helpless and hopeless in regard to this mission, but Grandly can make a difference in their approach and outlook. "The main thing that we try to tackle in our mission in Grandly is to try to give grandparents hope to help them bridge that generational gap between how they were raised and how youth culture is moving right now."The apostolate, which cel...
Grandly co-founder and director Pili Abouchaar (right) discusses the apostolate's work with grandparents on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" on June 4, 2025. / Credit: "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly"/Screenshot
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
"What if the most important thing that God wants you to do is still in front of you, and that is passing on the faith to your grandchildren?" That's the proposition Pili Abouchaar focuses on as co-founder and director of Grandly, an apostolate dedicated to helping grandparents do just that.
In an interview on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly," Abouchaar acknowledged that grandparents often feel helpless and hopeless in regard to this mission, but Grandly can make a difference in their approach and outlook.
"The main thing that we try to tackle in our mission in Grandly is to try to give grandparents hope to help them bridge that generational gap between how they were raised and how youth culture is moving right now."
The apostolate, which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, is especially relevant now, within the context of the jubilee year and the upcoming July 27 World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, with this year's theme being "Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Lost Hope."
Abouchaar said among Grandly's offerings is "a seminar called the 'Do It Grandly' seminar, which grandparents can take by themselves. They can find the seminar on our website. We are also helping parishes across the United States and in other countries to host seminars for their grandparents locally."
"Do It Grandly," a five-session online seminar, helps grandparents embrace their unique role in fostering the faith of their grandchildren. The sessions include topics on a bold vision, renewing hope, grandparenting and youth work, the strategic grandparent, and faith to move grandchildren.
The series' free, opening 30-minute session, titled "A Bold Vision," covers how youth see our culture and how God is in their lives, and offers interviews and discussions with grandparents. Grandly also features on its website a variety of helpful testimonies, stories, and discussion groups.
So far, Abouchaar said Grandly has reached some 20,000 grandparents and, through them, approximately 100,000 grandchildren.
The full segment about Grandly on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" can be viewed below.
Venerable Enrique Shaw. / Credit: Acdeano, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsBuenos Aires, Argentina, Jun 21, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).The cause for canonization of Venerable Enrique Shaw, an Argentine husband, father, and businessman remembered for his vocation of service and his close ties to the working class, took another step forward at the Vatican this week.In January, the miracle attributed to his intercession passed a medical review of its authenticity, and on June 17 the commission of theologians also unanimously approved it, the vice postulator of the cause, Bishop Santiago Olivera, confirmed to the AICA news agency."The cause of Enrique Shaw has already passed the initial stage of medical consultation, and now the theological experts, who are studying the prayers addressed to the 'candidate' and their fruits, have expressed their unanimous opinion this Tuesday regarding the prayer asking for the grace of healing," the prelate explained, encouraging people to continue ...
The pope told the political leaders that "natural law, which is universally valid apart from and above other more debatable beliefs, constitutes the compass by which to take our bearings in legislating and acting." / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Jun 21, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).Pope Leo urged political leaders from around the world to promote the common good, warning especially of the threat to human dignity from artificial intelligence (AI). AI "will certainly be of great help to society, provided that its employment does not undermine the identity and dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental freedoms," the pope said on June 21 to legislators from 68 countries gathered at the Vatican for the Jubilee of Governments. "It must not be forgotten that artificial intelligence functions as a tool for the good of human beings, not to diminish them, not to replace them," Leo said, speaking in English to the international audience. &...
The outside of Guaranteed Rate Field, where the Chicago White Sox baseball team plays. / Credit: Spirit Juice StudiosCNA Staff, Jun 21, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).From popping a wheelie in front of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home to sitting in "the pope's chair" at a favorite local pizzeria, filmmaker Rob Kaczmark appeared to be enjoying every stop along a tour of Pope Leo's childhood stomping grounds in a new short film released by Spirit Juice, a Catholic production company.The film, which Kaczmark called "a tribute to a South Side kid who made it all the way to the Vatican," is now available on YouTube."I'm still in awe of the fact that Pope Leo is from here. He's one of us," Kaczmark says in the film. "No matter where you're from, God can use you. You just have to be open to his call." CEO and President of Spirit Juice Studios Rob Kaczmark films outside of St. Rita of Cascia High School, the high school were Pope Leo XIV taught math. Credit: Spirit Juice StudiosThe filmmaker,...
Grandly co-founder and director Pili Abouchaar (right) discusses the apostolate's work with grandparents on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" on June 4, 2025. / Credit: "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly"/Screenshot
