St. Anne is the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the maternal grandmother of Jesus Christ. While not named in canonical Scripture, she has been part of Christian tradition since at least the second-century apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, which records the names of her husband (Joachim) and the circumstances of Mary's conception and birth. Devotion to St. Anne is one of the most ancient continuous Marian-adjacent devotions in the Church, with shrines and churches dedicated to her by the fourth century. Her cult flourished in the medieval period: the great basilica of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray in Brittany (founded 1623 after a series of apparitions to the peasant Yvon Nicolazic, who unearthed an ancient hidden statue of St. Anne after she instructed him in visions) and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec (founded 1658 by Breton fishermen-pilgrims; now one of the most-visited Catholic shrines in North America with hundreds of recorded healings) are the principal contemporary pilgrimage destinations. Pope Francis named her co-patron of grandparents in 2021, when he established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on the Sunday closest to her feast (July 26). The novena to St. Anne is appropriate for: grandparents (the contemporary patron use case), grandchildren growing up away from the faith, the family discernment of a difficult marriage or parenting moment, infertility (St. Anne and Joachim themselves were childless for many years before Mary's conception), and any sustained intercession that asks for the gift of family across generations. She is also a particular patron of women going through difficult menopause, the loneliness of widowhood, and the gentle accompaniment of elderly parents.
12 min
Duration
9 days
Commitment
Beginner-Friendly
Level
St. Anne
Patron Saint
Pray once daily for nine consecutive days. The novena is traditionally prayed in the nine days leading up to the Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim (July 26) or in connection with the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (the Sunday closest to July 26, established by Pope Francis in 2021). The structure: (1) Sign of the Cross; (2) The novena prayer; (3) The Salve Regina (a traditional Marian closing); (4) Three Hail Marys in honor of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Anne; (5) Name the intention. The Catholic French-Canadian tradition recommends pilgrimage to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec — one of the oldest Marian-adjacent pilgrimage sites in the Americas; the basilica receives hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually, and crutches and braces left at the shrine over the centuries are displayed as a public witness to healings received. The Breton tradition recommends Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, where the wider Catholic devotional culture's emphasis on grandparents' role in family catechesis is particularly visible. The novena is especially appropriate for: grandparents praying for grandchildren; couples experiencing infertility (St. Anne's long childlessness is a particular point of identification); the elderly facing loneliness or end-of-life questions; daughters caring for elderly mothers; and any extended-family intention spanning multiple generations.
Good St. Anne, faithful servant of God, mother of the Blessed Virgin and grandmother of Jesus Christ, you knew the long wait of childlessness and the joy of unexpected motherhood; you raised Mary to be the Mother of the Savior. Look kindly on me, your spiritual grandchild. Through your intercession, obtain for me the grace I now ask (mention your intention). Bless and protect the children of my family across the generations; bring back any who have wandered from the faith; comfort the elderly among us who feel forgotten; teach me the patience and trust that you embodied through your long years of hopeful waiting. Holy mother Anne, pray for us. Amen.
Coordinate sustained prayer for someone you love. Volunteers fill 30-minute slots covering days or weeks; the family receives a spiritual bouquet at the end.
Invite a small group to pray this each day with you. Everyone gets the same prayer text, the same rhythm, the same intention.