SAINT ANNE

Saint Anne, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos, gave birth to the Virgin Mary after 50 years of marriage to Joachim, during which they endured the sorrow of being childless. When Joachim was denied the right to offer a sacrifice due to their lack of children, he retreated to the desert, where an angel appeared to him, blessing them with the promise of a child. Together, they vowed to dedicate their child to the temple. The Virgin Mary lived in the temple from the age of 3 to 12. Saint Anne passed away at the age of 79, and her death is commemorated as the Feast of the Dormition of Saint Anne.