Our
parish patron saint!
The
Feast of St. Anne is celebrated on July 26th each year.
(The Feast Day is for Saints Joachim and Ann, parents of Mary).
On our feast day we celebrate a special Evening Prayer at 7
p.m.
We also hold our annual Parish Picnic on the Sunday closest
to our feast day.
Interesting note....In the early days of our parish, we were
called "St. Ann" and at some point in our history
it was changed to "St. Anne". So why was the "e"
added? We can't seem to find that answer so if anyone has a
theory we would love to hear it!
Who
is Saint Anne?
Early tradition and an apocryphal gospel (The Proto-gospel
of James) provide the names of the parents of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. The apocryphal writings provide legendary information
that attempts to fill in details that the canonical gospels
do not give. The writings tell us little that is reliable,
although they often are indispensable for understanding the
piety of the early Christian communities.
The Proto-gospel of James tells of the marriage of Joachim
and Ann, who became desolate because they were childless.
While fasting and praying they came to understand that they
were to have a child. Ann promised to dedicate the child to
God, and they named her Mary. At age 3, Mary was presented
in the temple in fulfillment of the vow of Joachim and Ann.
The point of the legends is clearly the statement "that
Mary was chosen by God in a special way and has a particular
role in the history of salvation. Joachim and Ann are simply
background figures". (Albert Schneider, Communion with
the saints, p. 290).
Our focus, in honoring Saints Joachim and Ann, is actually
on the birth of Mary. "God of our Fathers, you gave Saints
Joachim and Ann the privilege of being the parents of Mary,
the mother of Your incarnate Son." (Opening Prayer).
In a sermon by St. John Damascene we read: "Joachim and
Ann, how blessed a couple! For at your hands the Creator was
offered a gift excelling all other gifts: a chaste mother,
who alone was worthy of him... You will be known by the fruit
you have borne... the conduct of your life pleased God and
was worthy of your daughter.... You achieved with God's help
something which transcends nature in giving the world the
Virgin Mother of God as your daughter... a daughter nobler
than the angels, whose queen she now is..." (2nd Reading,
Liturgy of the Hours).
On July 26th, the Feast Day of Joachim and Ann, we commemorate
and celebrate a moment, an event, in salvation history. And
we ask that the prayers of Joachim and Ann help us to attain
the salvation God promised to His people.
Prayer
to Saint Anne
Glorious Saint Anne,
filled with compassion for those who invoke thee,
and with love for those who suffer,
heavily laden with the weight of my troubles,
I cast myself at thy feet and humbly beg of thee
to take the present affair which I recommend to thee
under thy special protection.
Vouchsafe to recommend it to thy daughter,
the Blessed Virgin Mary,
and lay it before the throne of Jesus,
so that He may bring it to a happy issue.
Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.
Above all, obtain for me the grace of one day
beholding my God face to face,
and with thee and Mary and all the Saints,
praising and blessing Him to all eternity.
Good Saint Anne,
mother of her who is our Life,
our Sweetness and our Hope,
pray to her for us,
and obtain our request.
AMEN.
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