At the Annals, we are convinced that it is essential to nurture our faith in many ways, and we believe that the testimonies of favours obtained and answered prayers are powerful ways of fostering faith and hope. That is why we are happy to publish your testimonies of favours received through the intercession of St. Anne. Today, we present you with the testimony of an extraordinary favour.

It was the Novena to Saint Anne in 2017, preached by Redemptorist Father Guy Desrochers, in the church of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick. Father Desrochers himself was one of the first witnesses of the extraordinary healing of Juliette Michaud: 

Born in Rivière-Verte, New Brunswick, Mrs. Michaud later immigrated to Connecticut, but maintained an undeniable bond with her family in the Edmundston area, where she travelled during her summer holidays.

In the summer of 2017, she rented a small cottage on the edge of the Rivière-Verte, but this time, her health was a major concern. In December 2016, she had undergone emergency surgery for three intestinal hernias, which resulted in a serious infection that extended into the navel region, where there was a large open wound about four centimetres in diametre, which was refusing to heal for more than six months.

Medication was needed to calm the excruciating pain and Mrs. Michaud had to stay in hospital to receive specialized care for several months, followed by two months of therapy. At the same time, she was experiencing severe back pain, causing her to have difficulty walking normally.

On July 21, 2017, her sister Gizline asked her to go to the rectory to receive the Anointing of the Sick from Father Guy Desrochers, who was there to preach the Novena and had brought with him a relic of Saint Anne. She declined, out of embarrassment and because she was tired. To her great surprise, however, the following day Father Desrochers came to her home to administer the Anointing of the Sick and offer her the opportunity to venerate the relic, which had come directly from the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

After celebrating the Sacrament, Father Desrochers invited her to hold the relic over her abdomen and encouraged her to “let her heart speak while making a few promises to Good Saint Anne, with the intention of making her known and loved.” Mrs. Michaud recalls holding the relic for at least ten minutes, while crying and entrusting the secrets of her heart to Saint Anne. She confided in us, “I have such great faith in Saint Anne. I know that she was listening to me and heard me at that very moment.”

On July 26, the Feast day of Saint Anne, she noticed that the wound was already half healed and that only about two centimetres remained open. What great news! On August 3, during a visit to her doctor in Connecticut, he was surprised to see that the wound had almost healed, and said "Wow! What happened? The wound is almost completely healed!" At first, she was too intimidated and feared the doctor’s reaction if she told him that it was Good Saint Anne who had healed her, so she said nothing.

That is not all. On the Feast day, when she had gone to Mass despite suffering from terrible back pain and having forgotten her pillow, her back pain inexplicably disappeared! Another favour received! She was filled with joy.

Mrs. Michaud wrote, “I cannot express all the happiness and gratitude that dwell within me. Father Desrochers, thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing me the relic of Saint Anne. I asked my sister to take a picture of you holding the relic because I intend to continue thanking Saint Anne each day by placing this picture on my abdomen."

After two months, her wound was completely healed, and she is now making every effort to share her testimony with others.