Saints Anne and Joachim are considered the parents of the Mother of God, whose birth this church celebrates. They are thus the grandparents of Jesus, but are not mentioned by name in the biblical writings of the New Testament.
An exact date, in the historical or scientific sense, is not known for the various stages in the life of the Mother of God. However, the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God—one of Mary's numerous honorary titles—is celebrated on September 8th in many Christian denominations (Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, and Armenian).