Los Angeles, August 21, 2025
A fragment of the holy relics of St. Anne, mother of the Theotokos and grandmother of the Lord Jesus Christ, was brought to the Romanian-American Holy Trinity Church in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 18.
The relics, originating from St. Anne’s Skete—the oldest skete on Mt. Athos and a dependency of the Great Lavra monastery—were brought to the U.S. by Archimandrite Cherubim, abbot of the Theophilos Cell within the skete, reports the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Archimandrite Cherubim together with diocesan secretary Fr. Ștefan Drăgoi, parish priest Fr. Constantin Alecse, and Fr. Viorel Vișovan. Then the Paraklesis of St. Anne was celebrated, after which the faithful were able to venerate the sacred relics.
“The liturgical atmosphere was permeated by a profound sense of God’s presence, and the souls of the faithful were filled with grace and peace. With great reverence and tears of joy, the faithful were able to worship a small part of the holy relics of St. Anne, brought from the Holy Mountain as a gift and spiritual comfort for the faithful people.”
As an additional blessing, Fr. Stefan Dragoi anointed those present with myrrh from from the miraculous Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
During his visit, Archimandrite Cherubim delivered a teaching on the power of heartfelt prayer, the necessity of living in purity and humility, and the spiritual gifts that descend upon those who place their hope in God. His words combined the wisdom of the Athonite fathers with his own experience of monastic life.
Following the services, the parish community gathered for a fraternal feast prepared by the women of the parish.
The archimandrite’s visit to Los Angeles is part of a broader spiritual itinerary across the U.S. aimed at raising funds for the restoration of the cells at St. Anne’s Skete on Mt. Athos. These monastic cells, which have served as centers of unceasing prayer and ascetic practice for centuries, require substantial support for their preservation and restoration.
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