Ss. Anne and Joachim
The Church in New Castle (St. Anne Church) and its side chapel (St. Joachim Chapel) are named after the parents of the Blessed Mother, Saints Anne and Joachim.
Not much is known of Anne and Joachim, as the Genealogy of Jesus found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke focus mostly on Joseph’s family tree.
Through Mary we see a deep family devotion to God and the religious traditions of her people, her strong character, devotion, steadiness and love for her family can give us an indication of the parents that raised her. Anne and Joachim represent the generations of the faithful, steadfast in their devotion to God awaiting the coming of the Messiah.
The Feast of Anne and Joachim is July 26, and is celebrated as the feast of Grandparents, it reminds us to honor generations past and the great wisdom they can impart on the younger generations.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary and the landgravine of Thuringia in Germany. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. After her husbands death, she regained her dowry, and used the money to build a hospital where she served the sick.
She became a symbol of Christian charity after she died at the age of 24 and was canonized on May 25, 1235. St. Elizabeth was venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. She as a member of the Third order of St. Francis and today she is honored as its patroness.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary's Feast day is November 17.
St. Rose of Lima 1586-1617
St. Rose was the first canonized saint of the New World. She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru, South America. Because Rose’s beauty was so often admired, Rose used to rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later, she wore a thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the inside, like a crown of thorns.
When her parents fell into financial trouble, she worked in the garden all day and sewed all night. Ten years of struggle against her parents began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic.
During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly and the sick. This was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and activity, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who could only say that she was influenced by grace. When she died at thirty-one, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took turns carrying her coffin. St. Rose’s Feast day is August 23.