Lives Of The Saints
July 26
St. Anne
Quick answer
At a glance
- Who is this saint?
- St. Anne is honored as the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Our Lord. Her feast is July 26. Devotion to her has long accompanied prayer for mothers and families.
- Feast
- July 26
- Brief life source
- Novena Regina editorial summary of Frederick Holweck, “St. Anne,” The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (1907), transcribed at New Advent. Read the source standards.
Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child, South Netherlandish
Brief life
St. Anne is remembered in Christian tradition as Mary’s mother. Her place in Catholic devotion draws attention to the family into which the Blessed Virgin was born, and through Mary to Jesus Christ.
The canonical Gospels give no biography of Anne or Joachim. Ancient accounts of their prayer and Mary’s birth belong to the tradition surrounding the Holy Family. The Church’s veneration of St. Anne should be distinguished from certainty about every detail in those narratives.
Devotion to her became widespread in both the Eastern and Western Churches. Older Catholic sources record churches, feast days, and shrines in her honor, including St. Anne de Beaupré in Canada. She has especially been invoked by women in childbirth. Her July 26 feast invites families to remember her place in the life of the Blessed Virgin.
Questions about this saint
Is St. Anne named in the Bible?
The canonical Gospels do not name Mary’s parents. The names Anne and Joachim come through ancient Christian tradition and apocryphal writings. The 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia distinguishes these accounts from Scripture.
Who was St. Anne’s husband?
Christian tradition names him Joachim. The familiar account of their childlessness and Mary’s birth comes from the Protoevangelium of James; its narrative details should be identified as tradition.
When is St. Anne’s feast day?
July 26 in the traditional Roman calendar followed here. Her veneration developed over centuries in East and West; the feast was extended to the universal Latin Church in 1584.
Source for these reading notes
The introduction and answers are Novena Regina editorial summaries of the older reference below. The brief life above has its own source citation at the top of the page.
Frederick Holweck, “St. Anne,” The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (1907), transcribed at New Advent
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Related novena
Novena to St. Anne
Mothers, grandparents, married couples, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, fidelity, and a happy death.
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Related novena
St. Anne Novena - Prayers for Finding Your Husband
Prayed for marriage, worthy friendship, holiness in waiting, a future spouse, and motherly help from St. Anne.
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