For Christians around the world, July 26 marks the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus. While little is said about them in the Bible, their story drawn from early Christian tradition and apocryphal texts-resonates with timeless themes of faith, perseverance, and the sanctity of family.
A Longing Met with Silence
According to the 2nd-century apocryphal text The Protoevangelium of James, Joachim and Anne lived in Nazareth as a devout and wealthy Jewish couple. Yet their wealth could not shield them from the deep sorrow that they had no children. At that time, being childless was seen as a sign of divine disfavor. People whispered about them, looked down on them, and even rejected them.
Desperate to win God's favor, Joachim went to the temple in Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice but was publicly rebuked by the high priest, who rejected his offering for being "childless."
Heartbroken, Joachim fled into the wilderness, where he fasted and prayed for forty days.
Back home, Anne wept bitterly, pleading with God in her garden, lamenting even that the birds had young. It was then that an angel appeared to her, saying: “The Lord has heard your prayer; you will conceive and give birth to a child, and her name will be honored in all generations.”
At the same time, an angel visited Joachim in the desert, delivering the same message. Overjoyed, he returned home, where Anne rushed to meet him at the city gate, embracing him with gratitude and hope.
The Birth of Mary and the Legacy of Faith
According to varying accounts, Anne conceived after many years some say 20, others 50 and gave birth to Mary, the one prepared by God to be the Mother of the Savior.
When Mary was three, Joachim and Anne brought her to the temple in Jerusalem and dedicated her to God's service, fulfilling a promise made in prayer. Some traditions hold that Joachim passed away shortly after Mary's birth, while others suggest the couple lived long enough to witness her early years.
Though Anne and Joachim are not mentioned in canonical Scripture, their story has been preserved through apocryphal literature and sacred tradition, offering a moving portrait of quiet heroism, patient faith, and deep trust in God.
A Growing Devotion Across the Ages
The Eastern Orthodox Church began venerating Saint Anne as early as the 4th century, and several 6th-century churches were built in her honor. It is believed that Pope Constantine introduced her devotion to Rome in the 8th century. The Protestant Reformation later challenged the veneration of saints like Anne, but in response, the post-Reformation Church emphasized her example as a model of holiness.
Devotion to Saint Joachim came later in the West, gaining traction in the 15th century. The couple’s joint feast on July 26 was formalized by Pope Gregory XIII in 1584.
Churches around the world honor the holy grandparents. The Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem, believed to be built on the couple’s home, remains a pilgrimage site to this day.
Saint Anne is especially venerated as the patroness of mothers, grandmothers, and women struggling with infertility. Alongside Joachim, she is honored as the patron of grandparents and married couples as symbols of the enduring strength and quiet grace that elder generations bring to the Church and the world.
Pope Francis and the Role of Grandparents
Pope Francis has made it a point to highlight the role of grandparents in the life of the Church. In 2021, he instituted the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated every fourth Sunday of July, near the feast of Joachim and Anne.
“How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society,” Francis said.
He described grandparents as “the memory of God,” urging the Church not to discard the elderly but to listen to their wisdom, learn from their endurance, and embrace their faith.
In Saints Joachim and Anne, the Church finds not only the biological ancestors of Jesus but also spiritual models for the generations who raise, shape, and support future saints. Their lives, often lived in obscurity and silence, reveal the sacred dignity of every life lived faithfully even when it seems hidden from view.
A Legacy That Still Speaks
In today’s fast-paced world that often overlooks the elderly, the story of Saints Joachim and Anne reminds us of the quiet power of steadfast love, the sanctity of generational faith, and the hope that blooms even after long barrenness.
As we mark their feast and celebrate the gift of grandparents, let us pray, in the words of Pope Francis, that the elderly "may never be ignored or excluded, but always cherished, respected, and loved."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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