Sts. Joachim and Anne are regarded as Jesus' grandparents, being the parents of the Virgin Mary.
Little is known about their lives, as they are not mentioned in scripture.
However, the Church has venerated them as saints since the early years, and gave various dates in the calendar to them.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, St. Joachim had a number of dates throughout history.
St. Anne had fewer dates on the calendar, including July 26, the day it is celebrated today.
Her feast is celebrated in the East on the 25th day of July, which may be the day of the dedication of her first church at Constantinople or the anniversary of the arrival of her supposed relics in Constantinople (710) ... Her feast, under the influence of the "Golden Legend," is first found (26 July) in the thirteenth century,
While the new liturgical calendar combines their feasts on July 26, the Eastern Church has also celebrated their memory on a single day.
The Greeks keep a collective feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne on the 9th of September.
This feast is known as the Synaxis of Sts. Joachim and Anne, maintaining their connection to Mary, whose birthday is celebrated on September 8.
Pope Francis has now used this feast of July 26 to celebrate grandparents and their contribution to society.
