Celebrating the life of St Anne ~ Week 9 St Anne's Feast Day

HAPPY FEAST DAY! MAY ST ANNE BLESS YOU ALL ON HER SPECIAL DAY!

I hope many ladies can join with me every Tuesday in celebrating the life and cult of St Anne throughout the history of the Church leading up to her feastday on the 26th of July. This is a nine week posting of a beautiful article published in the Catholic newspaper called, Catholic ~ The Voice of Catholic Orthodoxy the article itself is is an exerpt from a book by Rev Fr Myles V Ronan CC, MRIA 1927.

Edit 2011: I have since discovered that the wonderful newspaper that this St Anne article has come from, is put out by the Transalpine Redemptorists on the island of Papa Stronsay in Scotland. I now have their blog linked at the top of my lefthand sidebar, you can order this newspaper/magazine from their site.

Today is week nine the final week, here are the previous eight postings:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8


During these nine weeks I am also giving away a St Anne gift for each posting (either a St Anne chaplet, rosary or necklace of heirloom quality.) To enter the draw, read the day's posting and answer the question taken from the St Anne story. Then email me the answer with your name and email address written beside it, if the name and email address is not there, I cannot add you to the draw. I will draw out and announce the winner the following Tuesday and release the photo of the next gift and question and on it goes! Feel free to enter each week's draw.

I ask just one special favour, if you could offer an Ave in honour of St Anne for my sister Carmen who would dearly love to be blessd with a child after nine years of infertility, many grateful thanks

And so we continue on from last week.....

Of the whole American continent Canada has become remarkable for its intense devotion to St Anne, and Beaupre is its centre. The first colonists that settled there came chiefly from Brittany and Normandy, and brought with them their tender devotion to Good St Anne.

About the year 1650 some Breton mariners, whilst navigating the St Lawrence River, were overtaken by a frightful storm. Their vessel was driven by wind and waves towards the rocky coast. They were about to perish, and no earthly aid was near. In their peril they implored the help of Good St Anne, the patroness of their beloved Brittany, and vowed if saved, to build a chapel in her honour, on the very spot where they should happen to land.

Morning dawned and to their great astonishment, they found themselves on the north bank of the river at Beaupre. They landed and erected a little wooden chapel in honour of St Anne, their deliverer.

Eight years afterwards the first church of Beaupre was begun. The hardy pioneers, who had come to the place about the year 1650, began to till the soil and erect houses. The numbers so increased that it was necessary to build a church.

On the day the corner-stone was blessed, the Saint showed how favourably she viewed the project. Louis Guimont, who suffered intensely from acute rheumatism, full of confidence in St Anne, came forward and placed three stones in the foundation of the new building. He was rewarded for his devotion by an immediate cure, to the admiration and consolation of the bystanders. But this chapel already consecrated by miracle was never completed as it was found that the tide and the ice in spring, would destroy its foundations.

Another site, nearer to the hill was chosen, and again Lessard gave the ground. The sanctuary was ready in 1662, and in it was placed a small gilded wooden statue brought from France in 1661. From this year onwards, according to a document in the archives of the Seminary of Quebec, God began to work wonders here through the intercession of St Anne.

In 1876 the great basilica was built, an imposing monument and one of the most beautiful on the American continent. But alas! This splendid sanctuary, the centre of Canadian devotion, and the scene of so many favours, was destroyed by fire on 29 March, 1922, but the statue over the facade, the magnificent statue before the high altar and the precious relics of St Anne escaped uninjured.

Again in October, 1926, the temporary wooden structure, afterwards erected, ws likewise destroyed by fire. On this occasion also the statue and relics escaped. But it was not long before the devoted Canadians erected an even more magnificent sanctuary to their great protectress. It is this basilica which stands today.

A great deal more could be said of this wonderful devotion but space constrains us to curtail this narrative with the inspiring words of Pope Gregory XV:

"We do not doubt that the more love we show to the Mother of Mary the more we merit the intercession and aid of the Holy Virgin who brought forth the Only-Begotten Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ."

(From a book by Rev Fr Myles V Ronan, CC, MRIA, 1927)

Last week's question was: Q: What malady did the Curate, Dom Thominec, suffer and die from? The answer: A painful and inexplicable malady of the arm joint.

Jessica Gordon was the first name out of the hat with the correct answer ~ congratulations! Email me with your address Jessica, and I'll post the St Anne rosary you see above to you!

For all those ladies who entered last week's draw, feel free to answer this week's draw, answering the new question below the photos of the necklace. I am opening this final giveaway to everyone, even those who have previously won chaplets/rosary.

Here are the images of this week's giveaway:

'O God who hast been pleased to confer on St Anne so great a grace that she merited to carry in her womb Thy Mother, grant us by the intercession of the Mother and the Son the abundance of Thy mercies, so that we may arrive at the heavenly Jerusalem through the prayers of those whose memory we honour with pious affection. Amen.'

So the giveaway necklace above is a St Anne necklace with a vintage reproduction St Anne medal handcast in solid bronze with a beautiful filigree disk behind the medal from Vintaj. I have used petrified wood gemstones and beads and crystals. I've chosen a colour theme that is very neutral and will go with any lady's colour scheme or tones. To have a chance to win this week's giveaway, answer the following question:

Q: What was the name of the man who placed the three foundation stones of the orginal bascilica of St Anne deBeaupre, and what was he cured of? (So a double question!)

Email me the answer with your name and email address written next to the answer. Come back Tuesday the 3rd August to see if you have won!

I thank you also for prayers offered for my two year old daughter who had suffered burns to her face and eye area, the scabs have lifted leaving pink skin that looks very optimal for good healing, many, many thanks!