The First Holy Relic of Saint Anna

The holy relic gifted to the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Anna in Roseville, California, is a quarter-sized piece from the skull of Saint Anna. It was presented by the Very Reverend Cheroubim Apostolou, the Dikaios (Superintendent) of the Skete of Saint Anna, which is under the jurisdiction of the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra on Mount Athos, Greece.

The Grace of God is revealed through this sacred relic by a sweet-smelling fragrance that continuously emanates from it. In accordance with the truth of the Gospel, the sin of man is considered a foul odor before God, whereas a virtuous and holy life is "a sweet-aroma of Christ unto God" (II Corinthians 2:15).

Scriptural and Historical Foundations

The Protoevangelion of James, an ancient extra-biblical text, offers profound insight into her life. Anna was of the tribe of Levi and the daughter of Matthan the priest. At the age of nineteen, she was wed to Joachim. After enduring childlessness for some fifty years, it was only by the grace of God that this aged couple conceived. They bore a daughter, Mary, who would become the birth-giver of Jesus, God in the flesh. Following her repose at the age of seventy-nine, Anna’s body was buried in Jerusalem in accordance with Jewish custom.

A short time after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the early Christians collected and venerated the holy relics of Saint Anna, honoring her unique role as the grandmother of Christ.

Over the centuries, her relics moved through several ancient centers of Christendom:

  • The Church of Jerusalem: The original guardians of her remains.

  • The Patriarchate of Antioch: Received portions of the relics to strengthen the local faithful.

  • The Holy Monastery of Kykkos (Cyprus): An early Christian community first settled by Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead.

Today, authenticated relics of Saint Anna are venerated in the Patriarchal centers of Jerusalem and Antioch, the Skete of St. Anna on Mount Athos, a Roman Catholic cathedral in Germany, and the Greek Orthodox Church here in Roseville.

The Journey to Roseville

The providential dialogue that led to the formal gifting of this Holy Relic began at the funeral of the late Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco on December 29, 2004, at the Ascension Cathedral in Oakland. It was there that Father Cheroubim of the Skete of Saint Anna and Father Christopher Flesoras of the Roseville parish first met.

Their frequent communications following the Metropolitan's interment culminated in the historic gifting of the Holy Relic within the Kyriakon (the main Church) of the Skete of Saint Anna on February 10, 2005.