St. Anne Prayer
St. Anne is the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus Christ. She is invoked for fertility, motherhood, pregnancy, grandparents, and women's health. Her prayer is particularly popular among those hoping to conceive, among grandmothers, and on her feast day of July 26.
About St. Anne
St. Anne is not mentioned by name in Scripture, but she is deeply embedded in Catholic tradition through the Protoevangelium of James, an early Christian text, and through centuries of liturgical devotion. Tradition holds that she and her husband Joachim endured years of childlessness before conceiving Mary through divine intervention — a story that closely parallels the Old Testament accounts of Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth.
The shrine of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec, Canada, is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in North America, drawing over a million visitors annually. Her intercession has been credited with miraculous healings for centuries. The votive offerings — crutches, canes, and braces left by pilgrims who were healed — line the walls of the basilica.
When to Pray to St. Anne
Catholics pray to St. Anne for conception and fertility, for safe pregnancies, for the health of unborn children, for grandparents and their relationship with grandchildren, and on her feast day of July 26. She is also invoked by those dealing with loss of a mother and those who never had a mother present in their lives.
Good St. Anne,
mother of Mary, grandmother of Jesus —
you waited for a child
longer than seemed right,
and received a daughter
who would change the world.
Pray for those who wait now.
For women hoping to conceive.
For grandmothers who love from a distance.
For mothers who carry their children
with fear as well as joy.
And pray for all who were mothered
by someone like you —
patient, faithful, present —
and who carry that gift
into every relationship they have.
St. Anne, pray for us. Amen.
Original composition by Rosarycard.net. Biographical information sourced from Catholic tradition, the Protoevangelium of James, and Butler's Lives of the Saints.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is St. Anne?
- St. Anne is the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus Christ. Not mentioned by name in Scripture, she is venerated in Catholic tradition based on early Christian writings and centuries of liturgical devotion. She and her husband Joachim are said to have conceived Mary after years of childlessness.
- Why is St. Anne the patron saint of mothers and grandmothers?
- St. Anne earned her patronage of mothers and grandmothers through her role as the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. Her experience of childlessness followed by miraculous conception connects her to those dealing with infertility, and her faithful mothering of Mary — who became the mother of God — makes her the model of maternal faithfulness.
- When is St. Anne's feast day?
- St. Anne's feast day is July 26, celebrated jointly with her husband St. Joachim in the Roman Rite. The feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne is observed on the same day throughout the Catholic Church.
- Where is the famous St. Anne shrine?
- The Basilica of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec, Canada, is one of the most famous shrines to St. Anne in the world, drawing over a million pilgrims annually. The walls of the basilica are lined with votive offerings — crutches, canes, and braces — left by pilgrims who were healed through her intercession.
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