Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Roseville, California Metropolis of San Francisco Shrine is a vibrant community of faithful Christians of varied backgrounds who are committed to serving God and loving their neighbors by adhering to Orthodox Christian principles that are concurrently Scriptural, Traditional, Apostolic, and Eucharistic. 

Saint Anna Parish was founded by Rev. Fr. Demetrius Dogias, of blessed memory, and a handful of dedicated Orthodox Christians in Roseville, CA.  In 1998, Rev. Fr. Cosmas Halikakis was assigned as the first priest for our Roseville Mission. In 2000, our parish was dedicated to Saint Anna; the Feast of the Dormition of Saint Anna, July 25, was identified as our primary feast. Our first feast day was celebrated at 114 N. Sunrise, Suite A1, in 2001. 

In 2007, Founders’ Hall was completed at 1001 Stone Canyon Drive – the property that had been gifted to the Parish.  The educational wing (the hall that would be used as a chapel until our sanctuary was constructed) and the administrative offices were dedicated to Fr. Demetrius and Presvytera Dogias and the Founders of our Holy Church.  

In 2005, the parish received a Holy Relic of St. Anna from the Theophileon Brotherhood at the Skete of St. Anna on Mount Athos. On September 9, 2007, the Parish received Holy Relics of Ss. Joachim and Anna from this blessed Brotherhood.  Upon receiving Holy Relics, the Parish was distinguished as a Metropolis Shrine Church dedicated to “the Sanctity of Marriage and Family.”

In 2021, the Parish, now a spiritual home to some 250 Orthodox Christian households, commenced with the building of the Holy Sanctuary.  Construction was completed in the summer of 2023 through the intercessions of Ss. Joachim and Anna, as well as the dedicated and generous giving of the stewards and the friends of the Holy Shrine.  The opening of the Holy Sanctuary took place on the Feast of St. John Maximovich, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco (July 2, 2023), with His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco serving as the chief celebrant.

Saint Anna was featured in the "Greening the Parish" initiative from the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith relations at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for their campus design, specifically the sustainability of their church grounds. Their campus includes: Mavron and xynesteri grape vines (imported from Cyprus) for sacramental wine; Figs, peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples, pomegranates, cherry trees, persimmons, lemons, oranges, mandarins, and grapefruit (approximately 80 trees) for the enjoyment of stewards; Palm trees from which to harvest branches for Palm Sunday; Olive trees for table olives; Bee hives for the production of honey The parish entrusts their bees to the protection of St. Modomnoc, their fruit trees to the care of St. Tryphon the Holy and Great Martyr, and their future gardens to the care of the Theotokos.

Among Saint Anna's many active ministries is the St. Anna "Support our Troops Ministry." This ministry provides special and desired provisions and goods that our brave men and women in the armed forces who are deployed cannot get through normal channels within the military standard issues. In addition and even more importantly, this ministry provides Orthodox reading materials and personal notes of greetings, gratitude, and Christian love to our men and women who are in harm’s way and far from home. It engages the parish family to reach out and support our troops personally and lovingly.

There are active missionary efforts at Saint Anna. In the fall of 2016, with the blessings of His Grace Bishop Neofytos, the ruling bishop of Nyeri, the faithful of the Saint Anna community committed to supporting the construction of the parish of St. Anne on Mount Kenya, as well as the ongoing ministry of  Fr. Cosmas Nijoroge, the Parish Priest. The parish continues to support parishes within the Diocese of Nyeri and Mount Kenya. The parish also supported one of their own, Jennifer Rice, in a long term missionary effort in Guatemala.

Saint Anna has a Wellness Center and resources for those seeking assistance in times of illness and offers many other active ministries and resources for visitors and community members. Other ministries at Saint Anna include their Stepping Stones preschool, music ministry, Philoptochos, bell ringers, and more.

The parish is committed to serving the Lord, manifesting the light of Christ to the world, and meeting the needs of God’s people through His Good News. The doors of Saint Anna are open to anyone who wants a deep relationship with God and would like to be part of Christ’s plan to help others in His name and love.

Visit saintanna.org for more information.

Photos Courtesy of Saint Anna Roseville, California

Holy Week Photo Credit: Andrew and Bethany Photo