The custom of announcing the names of the deceased during the liturgical services can be traced back to the first centuries of Christianity. Already in the fourth century, the practice was strongly defended by St. Epiphanius (d. 403) as a "firmly established tradition" in the Church. He writes:
Concerning the ritual of reading the names of the deceased, what can be more useful or suitable; what can be more worthy of admiration?This venerable custom was transmitted to us by our ancestors as a part of our beautiful spiritual heritage. Every year, just before Meat-Fare Saturday, the families give the lists of their departed loved ones ("Hramoty") to the pastor with the request that they be mentioned at the appointed services held for the deceased.
— excerpted and edited from the Byzantine Leaflet Series #6, "An Explanation of the Byzantine Rite Liturgical Practice of Observing All Souls Saturdays" (source: Patronage of the Mother of God, Baltimore, MD parish website)
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