Our History

The story of Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Roseville, California, is a testament to the persistence of faith, bridging the Orthodox Church’s ancient, unchanging traditions—which have spanned the globe since A.D. 33—with the Sacramento Valley’s dynamic, modern growth.

What began as a modest mission in the late 1990s has matured into a cornerstone of Orthodox life in Placer County. The parish’s trajectory reflects the vision of a local clergyman and the deliberate, grassroots efforts of a small group of dedicated Christians who sought to establish a permanent liturgical home in Roseville. Their journey progressed from humble rented storefronts to a permanent campus that now serves not only as a place of worship but also as a designated Metropolis Shrine dedicated to the sanctity of marriage and family.

This transition from mission-based outreach to a landmark spiritual center was not merely a matter of real estate or construction; it was a process of deepening the community’s identity. By anchoring their identity in the intercessions of Saint Anna and, subsequently, in the sacred presence of relics from Mount Athos, the parish established a spiritual gravity that enabled it to flourish. Today, this vibrant family of roughly 275 households stands as a living testament to that early vision: a community committed to manifesting the light of Christ to the world, to upholding the Holy Tradition of the Church, and to offering an open door to any soul seeking a transformative relationship with God.

Chronological Milestones

The Storefront Mission Begins (1998)

To expand the reach of Orthodox Christianity into the rapidly growing Placer County region, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Sacramento helped establish a modest mission in Roseville. The parish was officially founded by the Rev. Fr. Demetrius Dogias (of blessed memory), a scholar and visionary vicar who nurtured the community's earliest steps alongside a handful of dedicated local Orthodox Christians.

Recognizing the immediate need for pastoral leadership, Rev. Fr. Cosmas Halikakis was assigned as the first full-time priest of the Roseville Mission. Without a permanent home, the small flock leased a storefront at 114 N. Sunrise Avenue, Suite A1, transforming the commercial space into a humble house of prayer.

Dedication to Saint Anna and Land Acquisition (2000–2001)

The turn of the millennium brought a permanent structure and identity to the community. In 2000, the parish was officially dedicated to Saint Anna, the Holy Ancestor of God, and the Feast of her Dormition on July 25 was designated the parish's primary feast day. Concurrently, a beautiful ±4.04-acre plot of land at 1001 Stone Canyon Drive, at the corner of East Roseville Parkway, was generously gifted to the parish. In June 2001, Fr. Christopher Flesoras was assigned to serve the parish. Morfoula Lenakakis, a native of Roseville, also began volunteering in the office, assisting with administrative work. 

On July 24 and 25, 2001, the community celebrated its first patronal Feast Day in the Sunrise Avenue storefront suite, laying the spiritual foundation for what would soon become a major regional landmark.

The First Holy Relic from Mount Athos (2005)

The community's connection to the global roots of Orthodoxy deepened profoundly when the parish received a Holy Relic of Saint Anna. This sacred gift was bestowed upon the parish by the Theophileon Brotherhood at the Skete of Saint Anna on the monastic peninsula of Mount Athos, Greece. The arrival of the physical relic became a powerful spiritual focal point for parishioners, drawing faithful pilgrims from across northern California to pray for family, healing, and intercession.

Completion of Founders' Hall (2006–2007)

With their master plan approved, the community broke ground on Phase One of its permanent campus at 1001 Stone Canyon Drive. By late 2006, utilities, parking areas, and an 8,500-square-foot auxiliary building were complete. In 2007, the City of Roseville issued a Certificate of Occupancy, allowing the parish to move out of the storefront permanently.

The new building was affectionately named Founders' Hall, dedicated to Fr. Demetrius and Presvytera Eleutheria Dogias, as well as the original founding members. The structure's administrative offices and educational wing—which housed the newly established preschool and daycare—opened, while the main hall was converted into a temporary chapel until a proper temple could be built.

Establishing a Parish Vineyard (2006-2014)

In 2006, the community began a lengthy process to identify and procure grapes indigenous to the Limassol District of Cyprus, the region known for producing Sacramental port wine, for her approximately 7,000-square-foot hillside vineyard. In 2008, with assistance from a Cypriot American graduate of the Viticulture program at the University of California at Davis, Foundation Plant Services (FPS) requested Xynisteri and Mavron grape cuttings from the Cypriot Department of Agriculture. In spring 2009, the cuttings were received, quarantined, propagated, registered, and certified by Foundation Plant Services under the California Registration & Certification Program, administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Cataloged as Mavron 01, Mavron 02, and Xynisteri 01, the vines were gifted to the Shrine in 2013 for planting and then made available to all US growers in spring 2014.

Reception of Relics and Shrine Distinction (2007)

On September 9, 2007, a second wave of grace swept through the parish when the Theophileon Brotherhood of Mount Athos gifted the parish the Holy Relics of Saints Joachim and Anna. To mark this extraordinary occasion, a formal presentation attended by both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian clergy and laity was held during Solemn Vespers at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento. Bishop Weigand of the Diocese of Sacramento processed the Holy Relics into the Cathedral. His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco processed the Holy Relics out at the close of the service, installing them at the parish of St. Anna, where the Akathist to Ss. Joachim and Anna was celebrated for the first time in English.

Recognizing the global significance of these sacred artifacts and the parish's unique patronal focus, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco formally designated Saint Anna as a Metropolis Shrine Church dedicated to the Sanctity of Marriage and Family. The parish embraced a global ministry, distributing holy oil and blessed icons directly over these relics to families experiencing infertility or seeking strength in marriage worldwide.

A Season of Theological Studies, Ordinations, and Missionary Work (2008-2019)

Although the Ruocco Brown family moved to our region and began attending St. Anna Parish in 2002, Deacon Joseph Ruocco Brown was officially received into the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America from the OCA on September 15, 2008. 

As the parish further established its ministry, twelve students attended Hellenic College and the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Nicholas Mueller was the first from our community to be ordained to the Holy Diaconate on December 18, 2014, and to the priesthood on July 25, 2017. In 2018, Jason “Seraphim” Ivey was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on April 14 and to the Holy Priesthood the following day. He served as the second priest at St. Anna Parish through the fall of 2024. Christian Burkhard was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on September 8, 2019, at his home parish, and then to the priesthood at St. George Parish in Fresno, where he served as a second priest. Peter Dogias, the son of our Founders, Fr. Demetrius and Eleftheria, of blessed memory, was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and Priesthood in 2019 at the Church of the Annunciation, where his father served for many years. 

In addition to mission priests supported by our parish through OCMC, Kaycie Simmons, a recent convert to Orthodox Christianity, traveled to South Africa in 2014 to assist with the ministry of St. Nicholas of Japan Parish in Johannesburg. Short-term missionaries also traveled to Albania, Africa, and Guatemala during these years. During her studies at Holy Cross, Jennifer Rice was part of the first music ministry mission team to Guatemala, sent to provide catechetical instruction on the church's hymns. She returned the following summer to help renovate a building for a future medical clinic, as part of the Orthodox Church in Guatemala's ongoing effort to tend to both the bodies and souls of the communities it serves. She then served as a long-term missionary to Guatemala from 2017 to 2020. The parish welcomed His Grace Bishop Neofitos of Nyeri and Mount Kenya and committed to funding the modest building program and ongoing ministry of Saint Anna Church on Mount Kenya.

Groundbreaking and Commencing the Sanctuary (2019–2021)

Having grown from a handful of believers to a bustling spiritual home for roughly 250 Orthodox Christian households, the temporary chapel in Founders' Hall could no longer accommodate the flock. After years of stewardship and local growth, the parish unanimously approved moving forward with Phase Two.

The city approved the official architectural plan in September 2019, which adjusted the temple's orientation to face eastward in accordance with strict ancient Orthodox traditions. The parish officially broke ground and began construction of the permanent Holy Sanctuary in 2021.

Opening the Doors of the Sanctuary (2023)

The $10.1 million architectural triumph neared completion after years of painstaking craftsmanship. In the spring of 2023, the faithful tearfully bid farewell to Founders' Hall, their primary house of worship—a space that had served as the community's spiritual womb for nearly a quarter of a century.

On June 22, 2023, the permanent Certificate of Occupancy was officially granted. On July 2, 2023, His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco celebrated the historic "Opening of the Doors," formally leading the parish into their new traditional Byzantine sanctuary, crowned by a 50-foot dome and a shimmering 24-carat gold-leaf cross.

Artistic Integration & Expanding Mission Fields (2024)

Following the opening of the Holy Sanctuary, the parish welcomed the initial installations of hand-carved traditional woodwork from Thessaloniki, Greece, along with painted icons from Mount Athos, stained-glass windows, and mosaic icons.

Emphasizing outward apostolic labor, the parish rallied behind its young adults as they transitioned into full-time mission work. Isabella Pucilowski spent the summer on a homebuilding team with Project Mexico, helping construct homes from the ground up and celebrating the historic opening of North America's first Orthodox infant orphanage, Casa Cuna San Felipe, in Rosarito, Mexico.

The Ordination of Fr. Lukas, Domestic Missions, and Catechumen Growth (2025)

A monumental pastoral shift occurred on the parish Feast Day, July 25, 2025, with the ordination of Rev. Deacon Lukas Breen to the Holy Priesthood. Father Lukas was assigned as Saint Anna's second priest, and Presvytera Josephine Breen assumed leadership of the Music Ministry as Protopsaltria.

The parish experienced a spiritual harvest, welcoming more than 30 catechumens into the faith during Holy Week and Pentecost. The parish also enthusiastically supported two dedicated long-term missionaries from the community. Isabella Pucilowski returned to Rosarito as a full-time, non-stipend volunteer in the Casa Cuna nursery, where she nurtured infants and tutored boys at St. Innocent Orphanage while completing her degree online. Meanwhile, Reader Paul (Gunnar) Matsen—a bilingual member of the parish, tonsured a reader by the Metropolitan—discerned a long-term call to Puerto Rico. Moving to the island to complete his university studies under Archpriest Gregorio Justiniano at the San Juan Clímaco Mission, Gunnar began teaching the Orthodox catechism and leading Bible studies in fluent Spanish.

Parish Growth, Structural Catechesis, and Additional Beautification (2026)

The internal growth of Saint Anna Parish continued into 2026, driven by a steady influx of seekers, multi-generational families, and newly welcomed catechumens. To manage and nurture this expanding spiritual harvest, Jessica Rentz officially assumed responsibility as a parish catechist, leading the adult educational ministries to ensure that all newcomers were fully integrated into the timeless teachings of Holy Tradition. The Parish Council also began refining our strategic planning to better serve the needs of our faithful and to expand the presence of Orthodox Christianity in the region by establishing a second parish.

Simultaneously, the physical temple underwent further beautification in waves, linking the parish's ongoing internal growth to the profound visual majesty of a fully adorned Byzantine sanctuary.