When I was a little girl I heard the story of Anna who never left the church but spent all her time praying for the salvation of Israel, and I thought "I would like to do that." Then I forgot about it.

Over 60 years later after much wandering - including several years as an atheist - I felt an urgent call to pray.  Not only to pray but to make it my vocation and to pray for the Catholic church and its priests. That's when I remembered Anna and how I had been attracted to her as a child.  So she became my patron.

I am not a good prayer - I suffer from frequent distractions and am easily tempted away from praying by a good book!  But I keep trying, not only to pray, but to not be disheartened by my many failings and weaknesses.