Saints Joachim and Anne

Saints Joachim and Anne were the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and thus the grandparents of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are venerated throughout the Orthodox Church as righteous ancestors of God, and their feast is celebrated with great joy as a day of thanksgiving for the gift of the Mother of God to the world.

According to Holy Tradition, Joachim and Anne were a devout and God-fearing couple who suffered greatly from childlessness, which was considered a reproach in their time. After years of fervent prayer and fasting, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to each of them separately, announcing that they would conceive a child who would be blessed above all women. In fulfillment of this promise, the Most Holy Theotokos was born and later presented in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Saints Joachim and Anne are beloved intercessors for married couples, for those longing for children, and for all who seek the blessing of family life. Their feast day is September 9, the day after the Nativity of the Theotokos. Browse our handcrafted Orthodox icons and devotional items honoring Saints Joachim and Anne, made in our Ohio workshop using traditional Byzantine embroidery techniques.