The Diocese of Winona-Rochester marked the feast day of Sts. Anne and Joachim, Jesus' grandparents who had trouble conceiving, Tuesday.

“According to tradition, Sts. Anne and Joachim prayed fervently for many years for the gift of a baby before the arrival of Mary, the Immaculate Conception,” the diocese posted on social media. “Let us ask these great saints, parents of the Blessed Mother and grandparents of Jesus, to intercede for those hoping to have a child.”

St. Anne is the mother of Mary, and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Anne and her husband Joachim, Britannica says, are celebrated as the patron saints of grandparents each year on July 26. Anne is also the patron saint of women in labor.

St. Anne's life shared similarities with the life of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. Hannah’s life is described in the Old Testament. St. Anne had trouble conceiving a child, so she prayed to God and promised that if she could have a child, she would dedicate that child to the service of the Lord. An angel one day visited Anne and Joachim and told them they would give birth to Mary. Britannica continues.

Sts. Anne and Joachim are not mentioned in the Bible, so little is known about their lives. That which is knows comes from non-scriptural writings and legends, according to Catholic.org. That said, sources agree that Mary had good and faithful parents who raised her to love and serve God.

Sts. Anne and Joachim are celebrated as a way to remind Catholics of the important role grandparents play in the family unit, the National Shrine says.

“Sts. Joachim and Anne were part of a long chain of people who had transmitted their faith and love for God, expressed in the warmth and love of family life, down to Mary, who received the Son of God in her womb and who gave him to the world, to us,” Pope Francis said in the National Shrine article. “How precious is the family as the privileged place for transmitting the faith!”