The Shrine of Saint Anne embodies a devotion to its namesake. Turning to Saint Anne, wife of Joachim, mother of Mary the Mother of God, and grandmother of Jesus Christ, we invoke Saint Anne’s motherly intercession so that the sanctity of all life will be recognized, and that all mothers will be given the strength and support to bear witness to the great gift of life.
We seek to honor all mothers living and deceased, single mothers, grandmothers, mothers thankful for God’s graces and those who have suffered the loss of a child. Let us together join our late Holy Father, John Paul II, in showing gratitude for all mothers: "Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourself in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God’s own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child’s first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life" (Letter to Women, June 29, 1995). |