St. Anne SCC

Tradition holds that St. Anne, or Ann, is the mother of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. There is no mention of Anne in the bible. Non-biblical books from the early Christian centuries acknowledge Mary’s parents as Joachim and Anne. These sources claim that Joachim and Anne were childless for many years of their marriage. The angel Gabriel appeared to them separately and declared that they would in fact bear a child who must be dedicated to God. Hence, Anne became the mother of our Blessed Virgin Mary.

Her words upon delivering Mary reflect her status as a great mystic, realizing that while she had wanted a son, this daughter was God’s gift to her. When she delivered, she said, “My Lord! I have given birth to a girl,” – and God fully knew what she had delivered and the male is not like the female. I have named her Mary, and I seek your protection for her and her offspring from Satan, the accursed.” So her Lord accepted her graciously and blessed her with a pleasant upbringing entrusting her to the care of Zachariah.

As the woman chosen by God to be the Mother of His Son, the Virgin Mary is known around the world as a good, holy, and exceptional woman. Certainly, she must have had extraordinary parents whose example of faith and trust in the Lord impacted her in a way that would change the course of history forever! These parents, named Joachim and Anne, have been honored throughout the ages for their dedication to raising their daughter, Mary, to be a woman fully devoted to God.

 ST ANNE CEREBRATION
Made universal by Pope Gregory XIII, the church celebrates her feast day along with Joachim, on July 26th. St. Anne, Hebrew for Hannah, meaning “grace”, eventually became the patron saint of married women and childless couples. Artistic representations show St. Anne with her child Mary on her lap holding Christ Jesus.