A Brief History of Saint Anna Orthodox Parish

1998

  • Roseville Greek Orthodox Mission is established with the assignment of Fr. Cosmas Halekakis as the first full-time priest
  • Suite A1, 114 N. Sunrise is rented as worship and fellowship space

2000

  • The faithful selects a parish name, honoring and seeking the intercessions of St. Anna
  • Stone Canyon property is donated

2001

  • First Feast Day is celebrated on July 24 & 25
  • Uniform Parish Regulations and Parish By-laws accepted
  • Temporary worship and office space is expanded into Suite C1

2002

  • Youth Groups attend first Lenten Retreat
  • Young Adults attend first National Retreat in Baltimore, MD
  • www.gosaintanna.org is launched

2003

  • Archangel Gabriel Bookstore founded and staffed. Donation of software and hardware secured from BHD
  • The Site Plan for 1001 Stone Canyon Drive is refined and submitted to Metropolis and City of Roseville
  • Site Plan is approved by Metropolis and by City of Roseville
  • Part-time Secretary is employed by Parish

2004

  • Final Approval is received from the City of Roseville for construction of Phase One
  • Formal Groundbreaking Service is prayed with Metropolitan Anthony of blessed memory

2005

  • Reception of Holy Relic of Saint Anna from the Skete of Saint Anna, Mount Athos
  • Funded iconography program for the Chapel of the Holy Fathers of the Skete of Saint Anna, Mount Athos
  • Annual Parish commemoration of St. Phanourios established
  • Last Greek Festival hosted at Folsom Community Center

2006

  • First Pastoral Visit of Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco Holy Wednesday
  • Capital Campaign initiated to fund current and future construction
  • First Baptism celebrated on site
  • Last Liturgy prayed at 114 N. Sunrise Avenue
  • Dedication of Founder’s Hall to Fr. Demetrius and Presbytera Eleftheuria Dogias and the Founders of our Holy Church
  • Festal Services commemorating the Translocation of the Holy Relic of Saint Anna to America commissioned

2007

  • Rev. Dn. Joseph Ruocco Brown is incardinated into Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and assigned to Saint Anna Church
  • Certificate of Occupancy granted by the City of Roseville for Founder’s Hall
  • Saint Anna Pre-School and Day Care opened
  • Pan Orthodox Great Vespers for the Sunday of Orthodoxy hosted by Parish
  • 1st Annual Sip & Savor hosted in association with the Dormition of St. Anna
  • Holy Relics of Saints Joachim and Anna gifted by the Theophileon Brotherhood
  • Holy Relics formally presented at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament during Solemn Vespers
  • Saint Anna Church distinguished as Metropolis Shrine dedicated to the sanctity of marriage and family
  • Memorial Rose Garden dedicated to V. Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Papageorge
  • First Greek Festival hosted on site
  • Arrival of Festal Icons from Mount Athos and silver liturgical fixtures from Greece

2008

  • Cypriot Department of Agriculture sends Xynesteri and Mavron cuttings to the University of California, Davis for our future vineyard
  • Reception of festal icon commemorating the Translocation of the Holy Relic of Saint Anna to America
  • 10th Anniversary of Parish celebrated

2009

  • Three Hierarchs Academic Lecture Series Established
  • Reception of Holy Relic of St. Herman of Alaska
  • First Saint Anna Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

2010

  • Part time Youth & Young Adult Director hired
  • Youth & Young Adult website online
  • First Child Born through the intercessions of Ss. Joachim and Anna

2011

  • Planting of Parish Vineyard
  • Further refinement of campus grounds

2012

  • Upstairs Fellowship Hall is opened
  • Archangel Gabriel Bookstore relocates to and expands on second floor of Founders' Hall

2013

  • Landscaping, Basement, and Office renovations completed

2014

  • Legacy Giving Program Established at Parish (first of its kind in Metropolis)
  • Parish advances through strategic planning to grow ministry and to prepare for the construction of the Sanctuary
  • Mosaic Monument of St. Anna installed on the corner of Stone Canyon and East Roseville Parkway
  • Reverend Father Demetrius T. Dogias Seminarian Scholarship Fund established

2015

  • Parish begins designing the Shrine Church of Saint Anna
  • Saint Anna Parishioner, Kaycie Simmons, serves as long term missionary to the Diocese of Johanneburg, South Africa

2016

  • Parish Seminarian, Nicholas Mueller is ordained to the Holy Deaconate
  • Saint Anna Parishioner, Jennifer Rice accepted as long term missionary to Guatemala
  • Parish funds the construction of Saint Anna Parish, Mount Kenya and agrees to fund her ongoing ministry

2017

  • Jennifer Rice begins her long-term missionary ministry in Guatemala
  • Master Plan & Sactuary Plans approved by the Parish
  • Phase One of the Capital Campaign recieves $3.5 million in pledged gifts.
  • Rev. Dn. Nicholas Mueller is ordained to the Holy Priesthood
  • Parish Pilgrimage to Nothern Greece and Cyprus

2018

  • Ordination of Saint Anna Seminarian, Seraphim (Jason) Ivey to the Holy Deaconate and Priesthood
  • Fr. Seraphim Ivey is assigned as the Second Priest of St. Anna Parish
  • Sanctuary Construction Plans approved by the City of Roseville
  • Parish Pilgrimage to Dubai, Cyprus, the Holy Land and Greece

2019

  • Ordination of Saint Anna Seminarian Peter Dogias to the Holy Deaconate and Holy Priesthood
  • Parish Unanimously approves the Construction of St. Anna Shrine
  • Reverend Father Demetrius T. Dogias Seminarian Scholarship Endowment Fund Established
  • Kantarges family Endowment Scholarship Fund Established
  • Groundbreaking, September 7
  • Ordination of Christian Burkhard to the Holy Deaconate, September 8

2020

  • Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
  • Refinement of Construction & Iconographic Program

2021

  • Planting of Parish Orchard
  • Construction of Holy Sanctuary begins
  • Phase 2 of our Capital Campaign begins

2023

  • Holy Week Services prayed in new, unfinished sanctuary
  • Completion of Construction of the Holy Sanctuary; Certificate of Occupancy granted, June 22, 2023
  • Opening of the Church, July 2, 2023