Feast of St. Anne

The mother of the Immaculate Mother of God is celebrated on July 26. Her name means “gracious,” and in fact grace was poured out upon her: filled with blessings, her riches are Mary and Jesus, of whom she is the grandmother. Her cult, established very early in the East, spread in the West especially at the time of the Crusades.

St. Anne is specially honored in Brittany (France), since a peasant from the Auray region, Yves Nicolazic, saw her appear in 1623 to ask him to restore an ancient sanctuary which had been dedicated to her.


“O God, Who didst vouchsafe to confer grace on blessed Anne that she might deserve to be made the mother of the mother of Thine only-begotten Son, mercifully grant that, as we celebrate her solemnity, we may be assisted with Thee by her patronage” (Collect of the Mass).