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JANUARY 1
- FEAST DAY OF
- SAINT BASIL
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Very few of us realize that the beginning of the Church Calendar does not start on January 1st. Actually our Church calendar begins on September 1st. In our daily living with our friends, neighbors and society, our year begins on January 1st.
Saint Basil was one of the greatest writers and speakers of the Christian Church. He prepared the Divine Liturgy which is celebrated ten times each year - during LENT, CHRISTMAS EVE and on JANUARY \&-Saint Basil was the first person in human history to establish an orphanage for little children and old age homes. He directed the attention of the Church to those unfortunate victims of society...the sick and the homeless. He founded the first Christian hospital in the world. Saint Basil was considered the most wise and compassionate clergyman in the entire history of the Church.
The Church therefore, in respect for his many contributions to the Church and to mankind in general, combined the joy and happiness of the New Year and the glory of the Birth of Christ and the Epiphany (the Baptism of Jesus Christ) into what is known in the Orthodox Church as the Vasilopita Observance.
{Names celebrated on this day are: Vasili, Vasilia and
Vasiliki)
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Provided for you Courtesy of: The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Bridgeport
Rev. Demetrios A. Recachinas, Protopresbyter
Web Version Designed by:
Vicky Andriotis
For information about obtaining hard copies of this booklet, please contact:
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
4070 Park Avenue
Bridgeport CT 06604
Church Phone (203) 374-5561
Church Fax (203) 374-5770
E-mail: fatherdemetrios@ holytrinitybridgeport.org
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