Our story

Who is St Anne?

Grace, the ‘gracious one’, ‘the loving one'

Feast day - July 26

You have probably heard the expression: The apple does not fall far from the tree. It means that children are often like their parents. Scripture does not tell us anything about the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition tells us that their names were Joachim and Anne. The name Anne means, “Grace", while Joachim means, “The Lord will judge". Tradition also says that Joachim and Anne took their daughter to the Temple in Jerusalem when she was very young. They understood that Mary was a special child, so they dedicated her to God. We do know that Joachim and Anne have been honoured in the church from early Christian times. By looking at Mary, their child, we can figure out several things about them. They must have set the example that Mary followed to become the loving, gentle, faith-filled, courageous woman she was - the perfect woman to bear and raise the Son of God. Whether or not Joachim and Anne are the real names of Mary's parents, the couple were the holy, heroic ones who faithfully prepared for the coming of the Messiah. Because Joachim and Anne were the grandparents of Jesus, they are the patrons of grandparents.

Our parish story

St Mel’s Parish was established in 1955.  In 1956 the first building, a church and school, was blessed and opened on December 9.

St Mel’s School was established in 1957.  The school was in the care of the Mercy Sisters who have dedicated their lives to educating and caring for the sick and needy. In 1991 the Mercy Sisters handed over the running of the school to the parish and the first lay principal was appointed.

In 1969, Bishop Bernard Stewart welcomed the Daughters of Divine Zeal to St Mel’s Parish in Shepparton. At that time, Bishop Stewart said, “The opening of this new kindergarten at St Mel’s is a day of rejoicing, thanks to the Daughters of Divine Zeal. Some mothers need to become breadwinners and this new kindergarten in the parish will provide help.”

In 2019 a new chapter began for the parish, with the establishment of St Anne's College in Kialla. This new P-12 college services families from the south end of Shepparton seeking Catholic education for their children. St Mel's Primary School and St Anne's College are sister schools within St Mel's Parish, and as such maintain a strong relationship.