Saints Joakim and Anna, also known as the Holy and Righteous Joachim and Anna, were the parents of the Virgin Mary and thus, grandparents to Jesus Christ. Saint Ioakim belonged to the tribe of Judah, which was one of the Tribes of Israel and the first to occupy Israel. He was descended from King David, the third king of Israel. Saint Anna was part of the tribe of Levi and the daughter of a priest named Matthan.

According to tradition, Saints Joakim and Anna were married for fifty years before they were blessed with a child. During a visit to Jerusalem they attended a ceremony where sacrifices were being made to God; Saint Ioakim – pious and steadfast in his faith – tried to participate in the ceremony but was deemed unworthy as he and Saint Anna were childless. Upon their return home, they prayed to God that He would give them a child to love and care for. One day God sent Archangel Gabriel to visit them both; visiting Saint Anna as she prayed in her garden and Saint Ioakim while he was tending to his flock on the mountain. During the visit, Archangel Gabriel said that they will have “a daughter most blessed, by whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed, and through whom will come the salvation of the world.” Soon after Saint Anna became pregnant with Mary, who would become known as the Theotokos, Virgin Mary, and Panagia.

Saints Ioakim and Anna took the child-aged Mary to the priest Zechariahs, leaving her at the temple with other maidens as was customary at the time. They both passed away in old age, Saint Anna at the age of 79 and Saint Ioakim at the age of 80. They are commemorated by the church on September 9, with Saint Anna also being commemorated on July 25. 19x15cm