Saint Anne, Patron of Pregnant Women

[divinum-pacis]

Anne was the mother of the Virgin Mary. As exemplar of a pious mother, the intercession of Saint Anne can be requested by women to grant access and happiness in marriage.

(Above: St. Anne and a young Virgin Mary.)

Medieval Folk-Ritual

Every morning upon waking, for the duration of the pregnancy, the petitioner will dip her finger in olive oil and draw three circles around her stomach. She will also prepare a small sachet containing a white ribbon with her name written on it, the petals from one carnation, some lavender, a pinch of sugar, a pearl, a lock of recently cut hair, and an eat of wheat. The sachet must then be put under the mattress, approximately at the position where the stomach rests during sleep. The petitioner will say the following words in the prayer while circling the stomach:

“Three divinities form the Holy Trinity, and make one God. These three circles protect the life and development of a new being who will come into the world in the will of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Please grant that all the beauty, intelligence, strength, and wisdom center upon this new being, and that blessed Saint Anne help me during labor. Please grant that this fruit of love will be protected in the same way as you helped your daughter the Virgin Mary, and that with your protection and my humble desire this being will become an example of virtue. Holy Trinity, be abundant in your divine benediction of this humble servant and ensure that the life engendered within me starts with your blessing.”

(Above: A Maria Bambina statue, or an infant Virgin Mary.)

The Offering

Once the baby is born, the petitioner will light a small candle every day, for forty days. The sachet will have to be thrown into the sea or a river. To protect the baby, the mother will lace the cot with a ribbon, onto which the name of the baby, a cross, and the words “Saint Anne” will be written.

Source: Saints: The Chosen Few. By Manuela Dunn-Mascetti. 1994. pg. 175.