How was St Anne related to Jesus?

St. Anne is traditionally believed to be the mother of the Virgin Mary and, consequently, the grandmother of Jesus Christ. However, it’s important to note that the New Testament of the Bible does not provide detailed information about the parents of Mary, including Anne. The genealogy of Jesus is traced through his legal father, Joseph, in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but these texts don’t mention Mary’s parents.

The story of St. Anne and her association with Mary has been passed down through Christian tradition, particularly in apocryphal texts and the writings of early Christian theologians.

One of the most well-known apocryphal texts is the “Protoevangelium of James,” also known as the Infancy Gospel of James, which dates back to the 2nd century. According to this text, Anne and her husband Joachim were childless for many years until an angel appeared to Anne, announcing that she would conceive and bear a child.

While the details of St. Anne’s life are not part of the canonical Christian scriptures, she is venerated as a saint in various Christian traditions, including Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. In these traditions, St. Anne is often honored as the grandmother of Jesus and the mother of the Virgin Mary. The feast day of St. Anne is celebrated on July 26th in the Roman Catholic Church.