St. Andrew’s Gratitude Project: The Impact of Daily Practices of Gratitude on Feelings of Loneliness

Abstract

he literature around the definitions, impacts and extent of loneliness in elderly people, especially those who are over 80 years of age, indicates that although the church has not traditionally identified loneliness as a mission field, it is serious, pervasive and calls out for response. In pastoral visits and in-office meetings with elderly parishioners, and especially with those who are over 80 years of age, many of those visited have indicated that they feel isolated and alone, and that the social interaction they once knew is no longer available to them.