Joachim, like his wife Anne, appears only in the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal text from around the mid-2nd century. It describes him as a devout, wealthy man distressed by the couple's long childlessness, who withdrew into the wilderness to fast and pray before an angel announced that his wife would conceive.
He is venerated together with Anne, sharing her feast day, and the pair are honored as the grandparents of Jesus across both Eastern and Western Christian tradition, particularly as patrons of family life and grandparents.
Feast · July 26
Saint Joachim
Father of the Virgin Mary
Venerated by ancient Christian tradition as the father of the Virgin Mary and grandfather of Jesus.
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Why People Pray to Saint Joachim
Saint Joachim is invoked by fathers and grandfathers, and by families praying together for patience and trust through long-awaited answers to prayer.
