Saint Anne is, according to Christian tradition, the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus. Her story is not mentioned in the Bible, but she appears in apocryphal writings, notably the Protevangelium of James. Married to Joachim, she is said to have been sterile for a long time before conceiving Mary by divine grace. Venerated since the first centuries of Christianity, she is particularly honored in Brittany and Canada. She is the patron saint of mothers, pregnant women and educators. Her feast day is celebrated on July 26 in the Catholic Church.

