Sts. Joachim and Ann

What Tradition Tells Us

Sts. Joachim and Anne are honored by tradition as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. Scripture says nothing of Mary's parents, and even their names come not from the Bible but from early Christian tradition, chiefly the second-century writing known as the Protoevangelium of James. The Church's veneration of them rests not on the details of that account, which is hagiographical rather than historical, but on the certainty that Mary had parents who raised the future Mother of God—and on the fittingness of honoring them.

The Traditional Story of Mary's Birth

According to the traditional account, Joachim and Anne were a devout couple who remained childless into old age. Their prayers were answered with the birth of a daughter, Mary, whom they consecrated to God. Whatever the historical value of these details, the story has shaped Christian devotion for centuries, presenting the couple as models of patient faith and of the quiet holiness handed down within a family.

Growth of Their Devotion

Devotion to St. Anne flourished first in the Christian East, where churches were dedicated to her by the sixth century, and spread through the West in the Middle Ages, when she became one of the most popular saints of Christendom. Veneration of St. Joachim developed later. The reformed General Roman Calendar of 1969 joined the two in a single memorial on July 26, celebrating husband and wife together.

Patronages and Major Shrines

Joachim and Anne are the patrons of grandparents and married couples; Anne is also invoked by mothers and is the patroness of Brittany and of the province of Quebec. Major shrines include Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec, Sainte-Anne-d'Auray in France, and the crusader-era Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem, which tradition associates with the home of Joachim and Anne and the birthplace of Mary. Their feast has gained fresh prominence since Pope Francis established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, kept each year near their memorial.

Significance

Though Scripture is silent about them, the Church honors the couple who, according to tradition, raised the Mother of God in faith. Their story presents a husband and wife who trusted God through long waiting and passed on holiness within their family. As patrons of grandparents and married couples, they remind families today that the quiet example of older generations can shape the faith of those who come after.