Saint Anne

Personal Life

Saints Joachim (sometimes spelled "Joaquin," pronounced "wal-keem") and Anne, are the parents of the Virgin Mary. There are no mentions of them in the Bible or Gospels, what we know comes from Catholic legend and the Gospel of James, which is an unsanctioned, apocryphal writing form the second century AD. We do know from scholarship that the Gospel of James was not written by James, the Brother of Jesus, despite its claim to be so authored.

Even the early Church fathers expressed skepticism about the Gospel of James in their writings. There are about 150 copies of the ancient manuscript which often have different titles, but tell the same story, that Mary was promised to Joachim and Anne by an angel, was consecrated to God, and she remained a virgin all her life.

Naturally, there is plenty of room for scholarly debate about these saints. We have no true primary sources that prove they even existed, but certainly we can agree that Mary had parents. Likewise, we can agree that.

Mary had good, faithful parents who raised her with a love and devotion to God like none other except Jesus Christ Himself.

Joachim and Anne serve as role models for parents and both deserve to be honored and emulated for their devotion to God and Our Lady Mary, the Mother of God. [1]

Miracles and Testimonies

• Healing of Louis Guimont (1658) - The first, most famous miracle at Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré involved a man with severe back pain. Upon laying three stones for the foundation of the first chapel, he was instantly cured.
• Protection of Sailors - In 1658, French sailors in the St. Lawrence River near Beaupré called on Saint Anne for safety during a storm, promising to build a church in her honor, which led to her role as a patron saint of sailors.
• Medical Healings - Countless testimonies throughout history recount the healing of blindness, paralysis, and epilepsy.
• Modern Miracles - The tradition continues, with many visiting her shrine in Quebec, as well as St. Jean the Baptiste Church in New York City, seeking intercession for cures and special graces.

Devotion

The veneration of Saint Anne appears in Eastern liturgies as early as the 6th century, and in the West beginning in the 8th century. By the end of the 14th century, her cult had spread throughout the entire Church.

Saint Anne is often depicted teaching the young Mary to read the Bible—a symbol of the transmission of faith and wisdom. A well-known Russian icon shows Joachim and Anne kissing upon learning of their daughter’s conception: a tender image of marital love and their participation in the mystery of the Incarnation. [2]

Legacy

The holiness and courage of these parents can be sensed in the family environment that surrounds Mary in the Gospels. Mary's inner strength, her ability to make important decisions, her life of constant prayer, her observance of religious laws, her faithfulness in times of trial, and her care for relatives—all reflect a united and deeply faithful family that knew how to hold on to tradition while remaining open to newness.

Joachim and Anne represent all those quiet and faithful generations who lived out their faith with integrity, passing on religious values and, unknowingly, preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. They remain in the background, but their role was essential.

This day is, in every sense, a “Grandparents’ Feast Day.” It reminds grandparents of their important mission: to shape the future by passing on the best of the past, to keep traditions alive and offer them as a gift to the younger generations. But the feast also speaks to the young: it calls them to recognize and appreciate the wisdom of the elderly, who have a deeper understanding of life, born from experience and reflection. It is a wisdom that should not be ignored but heard with attention and respect. [2]