On Monday, 9th/22nd September 2025, the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of the parents of the Theotokos, the Ancestors of God Saints Joachim and Anne.
Their memory was celebrated in the sacred Monastery named after them, within the walls of St Stephen’s Gate, on the site where the house of the Thetokos also stood, as Saint John of Damascus relates.
The celebration took place with Vespers from the evening before and with the Divine Liturgy in the morning. The service was led by His Eminence the Archbishop Theodosios of Sebasteia, with the concelebration of the Archimandrites, Ignatios and Amphilochios, Priest Georgios Baramki, Archdeacon Mark, and Hierodeacon Eulogios. The chanting was led by the lead cantor of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Deacon Eustathios, with the participation of many local faithful and nuns.
After the Divine Liturgy, the conscientious Hegumen of the Monastery, who also restored the shrine, Archimandrite Meletios, offered a reception for the clergy and the faithful.
From the Chief Secretariat
