July 19, 2026, 12:00 PM
If you’re at Mass in any of our churches this weekend, you know we’ve begun the annual novena to St Ann. A relatively short prayer near the end of Mass. A hymn— with a familiar melody—addressed to Mary’s mother, Christ’s grandmother. I’m sure this small addition to our prayer raises a few questions.
First, why St Ann? Her name and her story aren’t contained in the New Testament. However, quite early in Christian history—mid 100s AD—she and St Joachim are named as the parents of the Blessed Virgin. They’re an elderly couple and, like many Old Testament couples, are childless. Then an angel appears and Ann conceives Mary. The rest, as they say, is history. She becomes a beloved figure in art and devotion—notably in Quebec at Beaupre and in Scranton (where she is honored as the patron saint of miners, because she carried such treasure in her womb. She’s one of the patrons of one of our parish churches. Given that we’ve become very flexible in terms of where we worship these days, it seemed an apt choice to honor her in all our Masses, in all our buildings.
Second, why a novena? If you’re using the Hallow app, you know novenas are out there. They’ve been a piece of Catholic piety for a long while. They claim to reflect the experience of the Apostles and Mary in the upper room, praying for the nine days between Christ’s Ascension and the Spirit’s descent on Pentecost. In any case, they’re nine days of prayer. Sometimes we pray those days because we have an intention we want to bring to God. We want that intense sense of urgent prayer that marked that upper room and brought the promised gifts of the Spirit. Sometimes they prepare us for a saint’s feast day—much like an Advent or Lent preparing for Christmas or Easter.
First, why St Ann? Her name and her story aren’t contained in the New Testament. However, quite early in Christian history—mid 100s AD—she and St Joachim are named as the parents of the Blessed Virgin. They’re an elderly couple and, like many Old Testament couples, are childless. Then an angel appears and Ann conceives Mary. The rest, as they say, is history. She becomes a beloved figure in art and devotion—notably in Quebec at Beaupre and in Scranton (where she is honored as the patron saint of miners, because she carried such treasure in her womb. She’s one of the patrons of one of our parish churches. Given that we’ve become very flexible in terms of where we worship these days, it seemed an apt choice to honor her in all our Masses, in all our buildings.
Second, why a novena? If you’re using the Hallow app, you know novenas are out there. They’ve been a piece of Catholic piety for a long while. They claim to reflect the experience of the Apostles and Mary in the upper room, praying for the nine days between Christ’s Ascension and the Spirit’s descent on Pentecost. In any case, they’re nine days of prayer. Sometimes we pray those days because we have an intention we want to bring to God. We want that intense sense of urgent prayer that marked that upper room and brought the promised gifts of the Spirit. Sometimes they prepare us for a saint’s feast day—much like an Advent or Lent preparing for Christmas or Easter.
Let’s make this novena journey this year. Bring our prayers to God, through Ann and through Mary. Whatever rests in the depths of our hearts, bring it to Mass, bring it to our communions, bring it to our novena prayers. But, bring it, above all, to the Church. Let our fellow parishioners pray with us and for us. Let our elder sisters and brothers in the faith, all the saints, join with us in praying for God’s richest blessings in our lives.
Fr. McCreary
