At the Annals, we are convinced that it is essential to nurture our faith in many ways, and we believe that the testimonies of favors obtained and answered prayers are powerful vehicles for the transport of faith and hope. That is why we are happy to start publishing your testimonials of favors from St. Anne. Today, we present you with the testimony of an extraordinary favor.

New Brunswick, 2017. This is the novena to Saint Anne, preached by Father Guy Desrochers, Redemptorist, in the church of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska. Father Desrochers himself was one of the first witnesses of the extraordinary healing of Juliette Michaud, told here: Born in Rivière-Verte, New Brunswick, and later emigrated to Connecticut, Ms. Michaud has an undeniable bond with her family in the Edmundston area, where she travels during the summer holidays. In the summer of 2017, she rented a small cottage on the edge of the Rivière-Verte, but this time, health is an issue; in December 2016, she had to undergo emergency surgery for three intestinal hernias and this resulted in a serious infection that extends into the region of the navel, where we can see a large open wound about 4 cm in diameter, which has been refusing to heal for more than six months.

Medications are needed to calm the excruciating pain and Mrs. Michaud must stay several months in the hospital and receive all kinds of specialized care, followed by two months of therapy, at the very moment where her back begins to badly hurt, leading her to have difficulty walking normally.

On July 21st, 2017, her sister Gizline asked her to go to the presbytery to receive the anointing of the sick from the hands of Father Guy Desrochers, visiting to preach the novena, accompanied by a relic of St. Anne. She refuses with embarrassment and fatigue, only to see, the next day, to her surprise, that Father Desrochers has come to her home to anoint her and offer her the opportunity to worship the relic, coming straight from the sanctuary of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

After receiving the anointing, she was told by Father Desrochers to hold the relic against her abdomen and to “let her heart speak while making some promises to the good Saint Anne, to make it known and loved.” Mrs. Michaud said she has kept the relic for at least ten minutes, crying and entrusting St. Anne the contents of her heart. She says, “I have so much faith in St. Anne, I know that she was listening to me and heard me at that very moment.”

On the feast day of St. Anne, July 26th, she notices that the wound is already half healed and that it is now no more than two centimeters open. What a joy! On August 3rd, during a visit to her doctor in Connecticut, he was surprised to see the wound almost healed, and said, “Wow! What happened? The wound is almost all healed! “At first, too intimidated and fearing the doctor’s reaction if she told him that it was the good Saint Anne who healed her, she said nothing.

That’s not all. On Saint Anne’s feast day, she went to church with a very bad back and forgot to bring her pillow. During Mass, her back pain disappeared mysteriously! Another favor!

Ms. Michaud writes to us: “I cannot express all the happiness and gratitude that dwells in me. Father Desrochers, thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing me the relic of St. Anne. I asked my sister to take a picture of you holding the relic, because I intend to continue to thank St. Anne each day, by placing this picture on my abdomen."

After two months, she can now say that her wound is completely healed and puts her efforts to make her testimony known.