Religious Education & Faith Life

St. Anne and St. Joachim: Jesus' Grandparents

Did you know that Jesus had grandparents too? Their names were St. Anne and St. Joachim. St. Anne and St. Joachim were the parents of Mary, who is Jesus’ mother. This makes them Jesus’ grandparents! St. Anne is the patron saint of grandparents.

St. Anne and St. Joachim tried for years to have children. They prayed to God every day, asking for a child. One day, an angel appeared to St. Joachim while he was praying in the wilderness. The angel told him that God had heard their prayers and that Anne would have a baby. Around the same time, an angel also appeared to St. Anne with the same message. Finally, their prayers were answered, and they had a daughter named Mary who was conceived of original sin. 

When Mary was three years old, St. Anne and St. Joachim took her to the Temple in Jerusalem. They wanted to dedicate her to God, as they had promised. Mary stayed at the Temple and grew up learning about God and helping with the work there.