From the Gospel:

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan?[…] Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. (Matthew 6,26-27;32-34)

St. Anne's life:

It is said that Anne and Joachim prayed, each of them separately, to be blessed with a spouse. The angel Gabriel made sure that these two met and married. The parents of the Virgin Mary are the companions of those who weep the absence of a soul mate. They remind those in pain that personal and spiritual growth is not necessarily tied to marriage. One can grow if they choose to serve the others, have a job they like, are involved in church, etc.

Anne and Joachim are also close to those who cannot marry due to a psychological or physical disability, and who are affected by this situation.   

Every year, around May 1st, single men gather in Saint Anne d'Auray to share a moment of friendship and prayer: they ask Saint Anne to grant them the graces a single man may need, such as patience, boldness, solace, and ability to commit.

The Church's teaching:

We must also remember the great number of single persons who, because of the particular circumstances in which they have to live - often not of their choosing - are especially close to Jesus' heart and therefore deserve the special affection and active solicitude of the Church, especially of pastors. Many remain without a human family often due to conditions of poverty. Some live their situation in the spirit of the Beatitudes, serving God and neighbor in exemplary fashion. The doors of homes, the "domestic churches," and of the great family which is the Church must be open to all of them. "No one is without a family in this world: the Church is a home and family for everyone, especially those who 'labor and are heavy laden.'" In Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) #1658

Let us pray:

O Saint Anne, today we lift in our prayers the single men and women in our families. God chose Joachim to be your spouse, teach the single men and women to surrender to the will of God, so that their life may become praise to God's glory. Look down with grace and mercy on all single men and women yearning to be married and yet remaining in their single status.  May they encounter the soul mate God chose for them, may they find fulfillment in their life. Teach our families to welcome them, so that they may find consolation and joy when loneliness is too heavy to bear. Guard their hearts and minds with the assurance that Our Father in Heaven knows the intimate desires and needs of their hearts. Pour into each soul stillness and peace, knowing that their future is in God's hands. Amen. 

Saint Ann, we pray you,

Be the guard

Of faith in our hearts,

Of grace in our souls,

Of the solidity of our homes

Of love in our family

Of reconciliation in the Church

Of peace in the world.

Keep alive in us

The virtue of hope.

Conclusion prayer:

Short version:

• One Our Father, one Hail Mary, One Glory Be.
• Say once “St. Anne, pray for us and our families.”

Longer version:

• A rosary decade, or even a full rosary (five decades).
• “St. Anne, pray for us and our families.”

Click here to leave your prayer intention.

Click Pray to pray the Closing Prayer.