DETROIT — On a night celebrating the lives of two saints, two Detroit-area Christian leaders led a united congregation in prayer and contemplation.

Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron and Fr. George Shalhoub, pastor at the Basilica of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Livonia, led a prayer service in honor of SS. Joachim and Anne, parents of Mary, Mother of God, and grandparents of Jesus Christ.

The July 25 vigil, the night on which the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of St. Anne, brought together the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communities to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.

“I’m very grateful that all of you have gathered here at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Particularly, I want to offer a warm welcome to Fr. Shalhoub and all the members of the Orthodox Church that are here. We Latin Catholics are honored that we should be here together today to keep vigil for saints Anne and Joachim, that you praise the Lord Jesus for His Incarnation.”

During his homily, Fr. Shalhoub spoke of the lives of Anne and Joachim, a devout couple who weren’t blessed with the birth of Mary until late in their lives.

“Anne married Joachim, and she bore the daughter to be chosen to be called the Mother of the Lord,” Fr. Shalhoub said. “The hymn of the Church we hear tonight, ‘Be glad, O’ barren one, be glad O’ aged Anne, you will conceive and give birth to a wondrous child, a chosen one, yet you will be more glorious than Sara, Rachel, Elizabeth. For you will give birth in the womb to a wonderful virgin, the only mother who will bear the Most High King for the salvation of man, the Lord arranged all the best.”

Fr. Shalhoub said Joachim and Anne set an example for other families to follow, providing the loving, caring support that nurtured Mary, preparing her to be the Mother of Christ.

“St. Anne represents the human family, struggling with heartaches and yet holiness,” Fr. Shalhoub said. “Every family is always a light, however aimed is the darkness of the world. Throughout society, we see many families suffer from abdicating their calling to sow the seed of virtue in their children. We have seemed to have fallen into the trap of creating business and encouraging sport and extra-curricular activities, hoping to make our children stronger, more productive.”

Fr. Shalhoub said Joachim and Anne’s dedication as parents emphasize that mankind isn’t meant to live for itself, but rather for God’s purpose, which for many includes raising a family.

“This is what it means to honor St. Anne and her husband, Joachim,” Fr. Shalhoub said. “To receive, to become the parents of the Mother of the World, Mary, who saved mankind, by giving birth to our Lord, Jesus.

“Today, we must remind ourselves not only as Catholics, as Orthodox, as Protestants and others, but to remind the world, we’re not made for ourselves, we’re not made for ourselves alone. We are made for the good of all fellow creatures. It’s not about religion anymore, it’s about preserving humanity.”