.jpg)
This is quoted with permission from Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom published by Our Lady of Victory Press
What we know about the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents, Saints Joachim and Anne, comes from the Protoevangelium Jacobi (The Gospel of James). It is not part of the inerrant Word of God, but the document, which was written c. 170 AD gives insight into the life of Mary and her parents. St. Joachim was a prominent and respected man; however, he had no children, and he viewed this as a punishment from God. The Protoevangelium of St. James describes how St. Anne was even mocked for her barrenness, and how her husband was shamed for not being a father.
In an answer to his prayers, he and St. Anne, his wife, were given the daughter Mary, who was conceived without sin, in her womb. She remained sinless, ever-virgin, and would receive the unparalleled honor of being the Mother of God. Their prayers were answered greater than they could have ever imagined!
St. Anne’s Day as a Former Holy Day of Obligation
Father Weiser in Christian Feasts and Customs recounts the history of liturgical devotion to St. Anne:
Since the Fathers of the Church rejected the use of such legendary sources, the faithful in Europe had no feast in honor of our Lord’s grand-parents. In the Middle East, however, the veneration of Saint Anne can be traced back to the fourth century.
The Crusaders brought the name and legend of Saint Anne to Europe, and the famous Dominican Jacobus de Voragine (1298) printed the story in his Golden Legend. From that time on the popular veneration of the saint spread into all parts of the Christian world. It was encouraged by the religious orders of the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and Carmelites. In southern France a Feast of Saint Anne was celebrated as early as the fourteenth century. Pope Urban VI in 1378 extended it to England at the king’s request. Not until 1584, however, did the feast become universal, when Pope Gregory XIII prescribed it for the whole Church.
The feast of St. Anne was made a holy day of obligation under Pope Gregory XV who reigned from 1621 to 1623 as Dom Guéranger relates: “Gregory XV, after having been cured of a serious illness by St. Anne, had ranked her feast among those of precept, with the obligation of resting from servile work.” The Feast of St. Anne was listed as a Holy Day in Pope Urban VIII’s 1642 Universa Per Orbem, and it remained as such in some places like Quebec for some time.
Dom Guéranger also adds that Gregory XIII ordered the celebration of this feast universally “with the rite of a double. Leo XIII in recent times (1879), raised it, together with that of St. Joachim, to the dignity of a solemnity of the second class.”
The Patronage of St. Anne
St. Anne has long been depicted in art as part of a tradition of Catholic art that stretches back at least to the Middle Ages. In medieval art, St. Anne is often depicted teaching her little daughter to read. Medieval depictions of Mary’s birth often place the scene in a richly decorated chamber, with St Anne and her newborn baby being tended by midwives – images of domestic life, of women’s work and care.
Images of Mary’s childhood show her as the object of her parents’ love, holding her mother’s hand, or being taught to read. St Anne was a maternal saint in whom medieval mothers could see themselves reflected and she is accordingly honored as a patron saint for cabinetmakers, carpenters, childless couples, equestrians, grandmothers, grandparents, homemakers, housewives, lace makers, mothers, old-clothes dealers, pregnant women, horse riders, seamstresses, and women in labor, among other causes.
St. Anne is also a patron for women who are seeking a husband, as expressed in the popular old prayer: “Good St. Anne, send me a man!” Why? Father Weiser explains this long standing custom: “According to legend, she was married three times, first to Joachim, after his death to Cleophas, and finally to Salomas. This detail of the ancient story inspired young women to turn for help in finding a husband.” For this end, praying a Novena in honor of St. Anne was widely practiced in former times when the Faith was more widely known and loved. Women today who are seeking a spouse should likewise be familiar with calling on Good St. Anne for this intention!
Father Weiser also adds an interesting custom:
Her patronage of fertility was extended also to the soil. Thus she became a patron of rain. It is a popular saying in Italy that “rain is St. Anne’s gift,” in Germany, July rain is called “Saint Anne’s Dowry.”
Thus, for farmers and those experiencing drought, do not hesitate to call on the prayers of St. Anne!
The Popularity of St. Anne’s Name for Girls
St. Anne, whose name means “grace” became one of the most popular names for gifts in the 18th century. Hence, customs arose for girls celebrating their name days on St. Anne’s Day. Father Weiser again explains:
From the eighteenth century on, Anne, which means “grace,” was used more and more as a favorite name for girls. At the beginning of the nineteenth century it was the most popular girls’ name in central Europe, surpassing even that of Mary. This preference was based on a famous saying of past centuries, “All Annes are beautiful.” Naturally, parents wanted to assure this benefit for their baby daughters by calling them Anne or by adding Anne to a first name. Thus we have the many traditional names containing Anne or Ann (Mary Ann, Marianne, Marian, Ann Marie, Joanne, Elizabeth Ann, Lillian, Martha Ann, Louise Ann, Patricia Ann).
A hundred years ago there still remained the custom in many parts of Europe of celebrating Saint Anne’s Day as a festival “of all Annes,” meaning all beautiful girls. Dressed in their finery the bevy would parade through the streets with their escorts, bands would serenade them in parks and squares, balls would be held (both Johann Strausses composed “Anne Polkas” for this festival).
Saint Anne’s Eve was the day of receptions for debutantes at court and in private homes. Public amusements, including fireworks, entertained the crowds. The warm summer night was alive with laughter, beauty, music, and lights. And all of it was still connected in the hearts and minds of the participants with a tribute to Saint Anne, whose feast day shed its radiance upon this enchanting celebration.
Home Customs for St. Anne and Joachim
For those looking to add something special to the table on the feast of either of the grandparents of Our Lord, a great choice would be the Italian dessert known as Torta della nonna, which is Italian for “grandmother’s cake.” It is a classic Tuscan pastry characterized by a short crust pastry base filled with a rich, creamy custard and typically flavored with lemon zest and sometimes vanilla. The top of the tart is usually covered with a layer of pine nuts and dusted with powdered sugar.
Their feast days are also ideal opportunities for us to honor our grandparents with our visits (if they are alive) or our prayers (whether they have passed on to the next world or not). And conversely, if you are a grandparent, these are ideal days to consider what you should do now to help further pass down and transmit the Faith to your grandchildren.
Likewise, the Litany of St. Anne is an ideal prayer to add on her feast day, July 26th.
Pilgrimage Sites in Honor of St. Anne and St. Joachim
Lasty, for those in close proximity to one of the great shrines of St. Anne, it would be an ideal day to make a pilgrimage to one of these shrines. For instance, there is a great shrine to St. Anne in Canada – Ste. Anne de Beaupré. The St. Anne Basilica is more than just one of the four major shrines in Québec and the oldest pilgrimage site in North America. It is a site of constant miracles. Cripples have entered the shrine on crutches and left by walking through the door because they were completely healed. Another shrine is Ste. Anne d’Auray in Britanny, France. There is also a church of St. Anne in Jerusalem, and the church is believed to have been built on the location where Ss. Joachim and Anne lived.
Finally, for those in Rome, about six blocks north of the Castel Sant’Angelo, there is a church built in honor of St. Joachim – San Gioacchino ai Prati Castello. It too would be a worthy destination for those seeking to honor one of the grandparents of the Son of God.
