On May 13, 2026, the village of Mrkonjići in Herzegovina became a place of profound spiritual joy and historical remembrance as the faithful gathered for the first official liturgical commemoration of the Holy and Blessed Anna, the mother of Saint Vasilije Jovanović. A large number of clergy and pilgrims participated in the Divine Liturgy and the solemn celebration held near the saint’s resting place, in the homeland of Saint Basil himself.
According to regional reports, believers arrived from many parts of Herzegovina and beyond, aware that they were witnessing a historic moment in the spiritual life of the Serbian Orthodox people. The gathering in Mrkonjići was marked by festal joy, prayer, and the quiet realization that the hidden holiness of a humble mother had now been publicly revealed to the Church.
During the celebration, Bishop Maxim reflected on the spiritual meaning of the day:
“In these May days, Herzegovina breathes and is fragrant with stone, flowers, heather, and its mountain herbs, radiating the joy of Pascha. And in this season we are living and witnessing a mystery today — the mystery of a mother, the mystery of the mother of Saint Basil, born in this place and this landscape, through whom so much essential for our lives is revealed to us. Above all, as this service to the Blessed Anna — composed by these sisters — bears witness, we stand before a miracle. But not a miracle that overshadows; rather one that shines forth from this region, from this Herzegovinian karst, from this place which outwardly appears hard like this land, yet deep within itself conceals living waters, waters that give life.
She was a person whose prayer reached not so much far away as high above, toward heaven itself. In this way she offered herself, her being, her family, and the little Stojan born in this place, unto the Lord. She is that rare flower which springs from stone and grows for all eternity.”
The bishop further emphasized that the mystery of holiness, as revealed through the life of this pious woman from among the people, surpasses ordinary human assumptions that sanctity belongs only to bishops, elders, ascetics, or renowned spiritual figures.
“Five centuries have passed, yet the Lord sends His messages, and they arrive when we ourselves awaken to receive them. So it has happened also with the commemoration of the Holy and Blessed Anna.”
The Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije, Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, concelebrating with Their Eminences Metropolitan Dimitrije, Archbishop of Mostar-Trebinje and Metropolitan of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and the Littoral; Metropolitan Metodije, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Budimlje-Nikšić; Bishop Maxim of Los Angeles and Western America; together with Their Graces Bishop Irinej, Bishop of Washington-New York and Eastern America, and Bishop Pajsije, Bishop of Dioclea.
The story of Blessed Anna’s grave has long remained alive in the memory of the local people. When the burial place of Anna, the mother of Saint Basil — the future metropolitan and wonderworker — was discovered, the idea arose to erect a worthy memorial at the site. Upon hearing this, Andja Polich, a prominent woman from California and the wife of Todor Polich of Uskoplje, with deep devotion and love, organized the collection and delivery of funds so that the monument could be erected. Although in some recollections members of the Budinčić family were also mentioned among the benefactors, those close to the story remembered Andja herself as the principal force and inspiration behind this offering, giving in the spirit of family faithfulness and Herzegovinian devotion.
Her generosity extended far beyond this single act. According to the testimony of many people from Herzegovina, there was hardly a church between Mrkonjići and Ljubinje to which Andja Polich had not contributed help or donations. Her name remained remembered as that of a quiet yet great benefactor whose faith was expressed not in words alone, but in enduring acts of love for the Church and her people.
One particularly moving memory has also remained preserved through oral testimony. During the years of traveling through this region, especially along the road passing through Mrkonjići, Gojko Ilić would always stop with his family at the grave of Mother Anna. He would prepare a candle, light it for the repose of her soul, and offer a brief prayer. It became almost impossible, people recalled, to pass through Mrkonjići without stopping at the grave of the mother of Saint Basil — as though the place itself quietly called pilgrims to remembrance and gratitude.
The celebration this year therefore carried not only liturgical significance, but also the fulfillment of a long-preserved memory cherished by the faithful people of Herzegovina. The humble resting place of Blessed Anna has gradually become a place of prayer, remembrance, and blessing — a witness that holiness often begins silently, in hidden sacrifice, maternal faith, and the unnoticed love from which saints are born.
