Blessed Joachim and Anne
Blessed Joachim and Anne are venerated together in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches as the parents of the Virgin Mary and thus the maternal grandparents of Jesus Christ. Their names do not appear in the canonical Gospels but come from the second-century apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, which presents them as a devout and childless couple of Galilee to whom an angel promised a miraculous child. That child was Mary, whom the Church honors as the Mother of God. Venerated since the earliest centuries of Christianity, Joachim and Anne are among the most beloved figures in the Christian devotional tradition, honored not only as the human ancestors of Christ but as models of faith, of patient trust in God's promises, and of the sanctification of family life. Their combined feast is celebrated on 26 July.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Joachim and Anne
| Blessed Joachim and Anne | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 26 |
| Profession | Head of household (Joachim); devout Jewish woman (Anne) |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Eastern Orthodox Church; Oriental Orthodox Churches; Eastern Catholic Churches; Anglican Communion; Lutheranism |
| Patronage | Grandparents; parents; the elderly; married couples; mothers (Anne); fathers (Joachim); Canada (Anne) |
| Attributes | Joachim: shepherd's staff; Anne: book (the Scriptures she taught Mary); child Mary between them |
| Birthplace | Galilee, Roman Palestine |
| Death Place | Jerusalem or Galilee, Roman Palestine |
| Cause of Death | Unknown; natural causes in old age, according to tradition |
| Primary Shrine | Church of Saint Anne, Jerusalem |
| Liturgical Class | Memorial in the General Roman Calendar |
| Historic Class | Double (Saint Anne); Double (Saint Joachim separately) |
Biography
Historical status
Joachim and Anne are figures of Christian pious tradition rather than documented history. The canonical scriptures of the New Testament do not name the parents of the Virgin Mary. The source for the names Joachim and Anne is the Greek apocryphal text known as the Protoevangelium of James (also called the Book of James or Infancy Gospel of James), most likely composed in the second century AD, which circulated widely in both the Eastern and Western Church even though it was not accepted as inspired scripture. The Eastern Church accepted the Protoevangelium's narrative as reliable tradition from an early date; the Western Church was more cautious, but popular devotion to the parents of Mary spread rapidly.
The feast of Saint Anne has ancient roots in the Eastern Church, being celebrated in Constantinople from at least the sixth century. The cult of Joachim developed somewhat more slowly in the West but was formally established by Pope Julius II in 1504. Their two feasts were eventually joined in the post-Second Vatican Council Roman Calendar on 26 July.
The narrative of the Protoevangelium
According to the Protoevangelium, Joachim and Anne were a devout and prosperous couple of Galilee who had lived together for twenty years without having children. Childlessness was a source of deep shame in their religious culture, and the reproach of a man named Rubim — who turned Joachim away from the Temple at Jerusalem because he had no descendants for Israel — drove the grieving husband into the wilderness, where he fasted and prayed for forty days.
An angel appeared separately to each of them, promising that they would conceive a child who would be spoken of throughout the whole world. They were told to meet at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem, where their reunion was marked by a kiss that became one of the most celebrated scenes in Christian art — the Meeting at the Golden Gate — understood by the tradition as the moment of Mary's miraculous conception. Anne subsequently conceived and bore a daughter, whom they named Miriam (Mary). When the child was three years old, in fulfillment of their vow of thanksgiving, Joachim and Anne brought her to the Temple in Jerusalem and presented her to God.
Anne's extended tradition
In the tradition of the Church, Anne has long been understood as the teacher who formed Mary in the knowledge of the Scriptures and in prayer. She is therefore regarded as a grandmother of Jesus in the fullest sense — not merely a biological ancestor but a spiritual teacher who shaped the formation of the woman who would become the Mother of God. Anne is frequently depicted in art teaching the young Mary to read from a book of the Scriptures.
The cult of Saint Anne developed with particular vigor in Brittany (France) and in Canada (especially at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Québec, one of the most visited pilgrimage shrines in North America). She is the patron saint of Canada and of Brittany, of mothers, grandmothers, and those in labor.
Joachim's tradition
Joachim, as the father who raised Mary and who cooperated with Anne in the presentation of their daughter at the Temple, is honored as a model of fatherly devotion, patience in suffering, and humble trust in God's word. His feast was separately observed in the West on 20 March (for a time) before being joined to Anne's on 26 July.
Significant events
- Devout couple of Galilee; childless for twenty years; suffered public reproach for their barrenness.
- Joachim fasted and prayed in the wilderness; angelic announcement to both Joachim and Anne.
- Meeting at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem; Anne conceived the Virgin Mary.
- Mary born and raised by Joachim and Anne in Galilee.
- Presented Mary at the Temple in Jerusalem at age three; died at some later time.
- Feast of Saint Anne established in the Eastern Church by the 6th century.
- Feast of Saint Joachim established in the West by Pope Julius II, 1504.
- Feasts joined on 26 July in the post-Vatican II Roman Calendar.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Galilee, Roman Palestine
Death location: Jerusalem or Galilee, Roman Palestine
Notable location: Traditional home of Joachim and Anne (Sepphoris (Tzipori), Galilee)
Notable location: Traditional site of the house of Joachim and Anne; major pilgrimage destination (Church of Saint Anne, Jerusalem)
Notable location: Where Joachim's offering was rejected and where Mary was later presented as a child (Temple Mount, Jerusalem)
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Canonization
Immemorial cult
Joachim and Anne are venerated throughout the Catholic and Eastern Christian world by virtue of their immemorial cult as parents of the Virgin Mary. Because no formal canonization by a named pope on a specific date is recorded for either, their status is classified here as Blessed with an immemorial cult. They are universally recognized as saints of the Church throughout Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox tradition.
Feast day
July 26
Veneration
Blessed Joachim and Anne are among the most widely venerated figures in the Christian tradition. Anne in particular has an enormous global cult: the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Québec, Canada, receives more than a million pilgrims annually, making it one of the most-visited Catholic shrines in North America. The Church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem, on the site traditionally identified with their home, is one of the best-preserved Crusader churches in the Holy Land. Their feast on 26 July is observed across the Roman Rite, in Eastern Catholic churches, and in the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions. They are patrons of grandparents and of the whole of family life as a holy vocation.
Prayers
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