St. Anne is the patron saint of Boschi Sant’Anna, Italy, Castelletto d’Erro, Italy, Caserta, Italy, Corinaldo, Italy. She patronizes grandmothers, mothers, grandparents, homemakers, housewives, lace makers, lace workers, seamstresses, old-clothes dealers, equestrians, horsemen, horsewomen, stablemen, poor people, childless people, expectant mothers, and women in labour. She is petioned against poverty and sterility. There is a strong tradition that St. Anne can be petitioned for a happy marriage. The Sicilian-Americans, as well as other Catholics in New Orleans, petition the aid of St. Anne for husbands with the following charm: "Saint Ann, Saint Ann, give me a man."
Since she was often depicted with a book teaching her daughter to read, she is also associated with education for women. In folklore, she is a figure of a powerful grandmother. She could assist anyone who simply needed an intercessor with Jesus or the Madonna and recognized the power of famiglia and family connections.
In Italy, inexpensive statues of St. Anne often depict the saint in a traditional green mantle. Like her daughter, St. Anne is associated with roses--frequently red roses.
St. Anne may be petitioned anytime, but she is traditionally offered white candles on Mondays. Her feast day is July 26. A common observance of St. Anne's feast day by devotees is reciting Saint Anne's Novena. This novena is traditionally begun on July 17 and finished on July 26. Devotees often recite other prayers such as three Hail Marys each time the novena is recited daily.
St. Anne is one of the saints with her own prayer beads or "chaplet" which may be used in petitions to her.
St. Anne's Chaplet consists of the medal of St. Anne and 3 groups of 5 beads, each group separated by 1 larger bead, totaling 18 beads in all.
On the first group of beads, the petitioner begins with the phrase: "In honor of Jesus..." S/he then recites 1 "Our Father" on the 1 larger bead and 5 "Hail Marys" on the 5 smaller beads. After each "Hail Mary," the petitioner states, "Jesus, Mary, and St. Anne, grant the favor I request." At this point, the petioner states his/her request.
On the second group of beads, the petitioner begins with the phrase: "In honor of Mary..." S/he again recites 1 "Our Father" on the 1 larger bead and 5 "Hail Marys" on the 5 smaller beads. After each "Hail Mary," the petitioner states, "Jesus, Mary, and St. Anne, grant the favor I request." At this point, the petioner repeated his/her request.
On the third group of beads, the petitioner begins with the phrase: "In honor of St. Anne..." S/he again recites 1 "Our Father" on the 1 larger bead and 5 "Hail Marys" on the 5 smaller beads. After each "Hail Mary," the petitioner states, "Jesus, Mary, and St. Anne, grant the favor I request." At this point, the petioner repeated his/her request.
The following prayer was recited to complete the chaplet:
"O God, be with us in our time of trial. Protect us, Lord, from every evil. Good St. Anne, you were especially favored by God to be the mother of the most holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Savior. By your power with your most pure daughter and with her divine Son, kindly obtain for us the grace and favor we now seek. Please secure for us also forgiveness for our past sins, the strength to perform faithfully our daily duties, and the help we need to persevere in the love of Jesus and Mary. Amen."
To celebrate her feast day (July 26), one modern custom suggests making a St. Anne Cake, with icing roses and colors proper to St. Anne.
There is an Italian-American tradition which petitions the saint to remove the malocchio, or evil eye.
After a healer, usually an older woman, diagnosed the presence of the malocchio by observing the standard three drops of olive oil on a shallow dish of water, she prayed to "San Anna" and then added salt to the dish of water and oil along with reciting appropriate prayers. As part of the cure, the water and oil would be poured out of a window, while the healer recited the following charm:
Water and saltThen whoever was afflicted by the malocchio responded:
I hope that whatever
The witches devise will fail.Aqua e sali
soco fanno limaari
Non chi pozza glovaro.
Saint Anne, Saint Anne,
Whoever wishes harm to befall [own name]
I only wish you well.San Anna, San Anna,
Cu ava fari male a [own name]
Bene sini sia.
In Sicilian Benedicaria, St. Anne is petioned with a cup of camomille tea set before her image in the practitioner's home.
Useful Prayers: Daily Prayer to St. Anne
Useful Prayers: Prayer to St. Anne to Obtain
Some Special Favor
Useful Prayers: Prayer to Sant' Anna
Useful Prayers: Novena to St. Anne