It is with great sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing of the beloved mother, Hekmat Yassa, on the morning of Saturday, May 30, 2026. She was the mother of His Grace, the esteemed Bishop Joseph, the Metropolitan of Texas, Florida, and the southern United States.

The family will receive condolences at the Church of Saint Mina the Great in Holmdel, New Jersey, on Wednesday evening, June 3, at 7 PM. A funeral service for her blessed soul will be held at the same church on Thursday, June 4, at 10 AM, following the Divine Liturgy.