The Orthodox Church commemorates the passing of Agia Anna on 25th of July.
Agia Anna, the mother of the Theotokos (Panagia), was the wife of St. Joachim and the daughter of Mattham, a Levi priest. Anna and Joachim were married and childless for about 50 years.
This saddened them, and they vowed that should the Lord bless them with a child they would dedicate it to Him. Hoping their prayers would be answered, they brought gifts to the Lord's temple in Jerusalem on the yearly Feast of the Dedication (Hanukkah) and Feast of Lights. The priests, however, did not wish to accept them, since they were from a childless man, and Joachim was scorned. Publicly humiliated he soon remembered that Abraham whom God gave a son in his old age. He then retired to the wilderness to pray, were the Archangel Gabriel told him that his prayers have been heard, and that Anna will give birth to a daughter who shall be called Mary.
When Mary was three years old, her parents, after offering up their sacrifice, left her to be brought up with the other maidens in the apartments of the temple.
For the next seven years, Anna and Joachim visited Mary often until they reposed, leaving her an orphan.
The Orthodox Church commemorates the dormition of St. Anna on 25th of July, AGia Anna's conception is commemorated on December 5 and both of the Virgin Mary's parents are commemorated together on the 9th of September.
Απολυτίκιο της Αγίας Άννας (25 Ιουλίου)
Η Αγία Άννα ήταν η μητέρα της Παναγίας. Η Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία τιμά τρεις φορές την Αγία Άννα κατά τη διάρκεια του εορταστικού κύκλου: Στις 9 Δεκεμβρίου, τη Σύλληψή της, στις 25 Ιουλίου την Κοίμησή της και στις 9 Σεπτεμβρίου, μαζί με τον σύζυγό της Ιωακείμ.
