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All mail and correspondence should be sent to:  6 Lansing Ave Watervliet NY 12189-1845

Phone: (518) 273-6262   E-Mail:  kaolsen2410@gmail.com  Please do not send text messages.  Thank you.

 

OUR MISSION/VISION STATEMENT

  • ST. BASIL'S CHURCH WILL STRIVE TO GLORIFY GOD THROUGH 

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN WORSHIP,

SINCERE LOVE AND CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER,

AND SERVICE TO THOSE IN NEED AROUND US

 

St. Basil's, a parish of the Orthodox Church in America, is a Christian community of people from various ethnic and social backgrounds sharing a common commitment to the Lord, each other, and the Apostolic Faith. We warmly welcome all families, couples, and individuals who are looking for a deeper experience of the salvation offered in Jesus Christ. Come and see!

**All services are in English                  

Welcome! It is always an honor and a privilege when we have visitors worship with us at St. Basil’s.  Please consider filling out a “Visitor’s Card” at the Candle Desk and joining us for Coffee Hour after the liturgy. Please keep in mind that we have certain traditions and practices that perhaps you may not be accustomed to.  For example, modest and proper attire should be worn.  We do not practice so-called "Eucharistic hospitality" or "inter-Communion."  Only Baptized Orthodox Christians who have been to Holy Confession recently may receive Holy Communion.  If you are an Orthodox visitor and plan to receive Holy Communion, please call Fr. Peter ahead of time (518-273-6262).  ALL SERVICES ARE IN ENGLISH!

Sacraments are scheduled only by Baptized Orthodox Christians who go to church, go to Confession, and receive Holy Communion on a regular basis.  Please note that in order to schedule a sacrament, you must be a member in good standing of St. Basil's.  If you are a member of another Orthodox Church, you must bring a letter from the Parish Priest stating that you are a member in good standing of that parish and that he gives you his blessing to request a sacrament in our church.  All Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals must be scheduled ahead of time with Fr. Peter.  Please keep in mind that not all days and times are permitted.  All canonical, traditional and liturgical practices of the Orthodox Church must be followed and adhered to.  All Baptisms must be discussed with the parents of the child ahead of time, and all couples seeking to be wed in our church must themselves discuss this request with the priest.  Thank you!

Confession is a soul-proftitable Mystery (Sacrament) of the Church.  It is a gift to us from God in our struggle to be cleansed from our sins and to have inner peace in our hearts and souls.  It is the practice of the Orthodox Church to go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion.  If we are frequent communicants (receive Holy Communion on a weekly basis), it is the guidance of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America to go to Confession once a month.  Confessions are generally heard at St. Basil’s on Saturday evening after Great Vespers.  Confessions are generally not heard on Sunday morning before Divine Liturgy because there is little time, as the priest must do the proskomedia before the liturgy.  Exceptions for worthy reasons can be made.  Confessions are also heard on other days and times by appointment.  Occasionally (RARELY) Confessions may not be scheduled on a particular Saturday.  Please check our weekly bulletin for our schedule.  Please see Fr. Peter if you would like further guidance or reading material explaining Confession, as well as how to prepare for Confession and Holy Communion.  Children begin going to Confession at seven years of age.

Таинства назначаются только крещеным православным христианам, которые регулярно ходят в храм, исповедуются и причащаются. Обратите внимание, что для того, чтобы запланировать таинство (крещение ребенка, венчание, отпевание, и.т.д.); вообще Вы должны быть членом церкви Св. Василия.  Если Вы являетесь членом другой православной церкви, Вам необходимо принести письмо от приходского священника, в котором будет указано, что Вы являетесь членом этого прихода и, что Вы получили благословение священника того храма, чтобы попросить у нас соблюдать таинство.  Все крещения, свадьбы и похороны необходимо согласовывать заранее с о. Петром.  Имеете ввиду, что не все дни и часы разрешены.  Необходимо соблюдать все канонические, традиционные и литургические практики Церкви.    Все крещения необходимо заранее обсудить с родителями ребенка. Спасибо за внимание!

On the first Sunday of Great Lent, St. Basil's Orthodox Church in Waltervliet celebrated a pan-Orthodox vespers with a procession and the rite of Orthodoxy.  Serving were Archpriest Peter Olsen, the rector of St. Basil's, Protopresbyter Emmanuel Mantzouris (Greek Archdiocese), Priestmonk Christopher Savage, Prior (New Skete Monastery, OCA), Presbyter Gregory Potter (Antiochian Archdiocese), Presbyter Neofitos Sargiannis (Greek Archdiocese), Presbyter John Vazquez (Antiochian Archdiocese), and Deacon Jason Gagnon of St. Basil's in Watervliet.  Assisting in the choir was Presbyter Matthew Markewich (OCA).  The choir was conducted by Marie Giokas of St. Basil's.  In attendance were many parishioners from the various Orthodox churches of the Capital District of upstate New York.  The homily was delivered by Fr. Emmanuel, who explained the history and the theology of the dogma of the Orthodox veneration of the holy icons.  A lenten meal and fellowship in the church hall followed the service.  A special collection was made to support the work of IOCC.

We are proud to share the wonderful news that Dr. Kimberly Peregrim, a dedicated parishioner of St. Basil’s Orthodox Church in Watervliet, NY, has been promoted to the rank of Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves. Her extraordinary dedication to both her country and her faith is a shining example for us all.

About Colonel Kimberly A. Peregrim

Colonel Kimberly A. Peregrim currently serves as Commander of the 109th Medical Group at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, New York. A devoted leader committed to the well-being of those who serve, Col. Peregrim oversees the medical readiness of all members of the 109th Airlift Wing.

Her expertise encompasses a broad array of medical disciplines including Aerospace Medicine, Bioenvironmental Engineering, Critical Care Air Transport, Dental Care, Medical Administration, Medical Readiness, Nursing Services, Optometry, and Public Health.

Col. Peregrim began her military service in July 2012, commissioning into the Air National Guard. She earned her Flight Surgeon Wings at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine in October 2015. Her service includes participation in multiple critical operations, including:

  • Operation DEEP FREEZE, Joint Task Force–Support Forces Antarctica

  • Operation COVID-19

  • Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL

  • Operation NEW NORMAL

She previously served as Chief of Aerospace Medicine and Flight Surgeon at the 109th Airlift Wing before assuming her current command.

Education

  • 1988A.A. in Liberal Arts, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY

  • 1993B.A. in Biology, Russell Sage College, Troy, NY

  • 1999Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY

  • 2019MBA in Healthcare Management, Clarkson University, Schenectady, NY

  • 2022Master of Military Operational Arts and Sciences, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL (by correspondence)

Assignments

  1. Jul 2012 – Oct 2015: General Medical Officer, 109th Medical Group

  2. Oct 2015 – Jun 2017: Residency-Trained Flight Surgeon

  3. Jul 2017 – Jul 2019: Chief of Aerospace Medicine

  4. Jul 2019 – Jun 2025: Residency-Trained Flight Surgeon

  5. Jun 2025 – Present: Commander, 109th Medical Group

Awards and Decorations

  • Meritorious Service Medal (w/2 oak leaf clusters)

  • Air and Space Commendation Medal (w/1 oak leaf cluster)

  • Meritorious Unit Award

  • Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (w/2 oak leaf clusters)

  • Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal (w/2 oak leaf clusters)

  • National Defense Service Medal

  • Antarctica Service Medal

  • Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

  • Armed Forces Service Medal

  • Humanitarian Service Medal (w/1 service star)

  • Air and Space Longevity Service Award

  • Air and Space Training Ribbon

Professional Affiliations

  • Fellow, American Academy of Physicians

  • Life Member, American Legion Post 1615

  • Life Member, Maplewood Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary

Let us join together in congratulating Col. Dr. Kimberly Peregrim for her remarkable achievements and unwavering service. May God bless her continued work and protect all who serve.

St. Basil's celebrated its Parish Feast Day of St. Basil the Great  with His Eminence, Archbishop MICHAEL on January 1, 2025.  Serving with the parish rector, Archpriest Peter Olsen, was Priest Paul Fedoroff and parish deacon Jason Gagnon.  Subdeacons were Benjamin Goes and Andrew Karlgut.  A festive meal and fellowship was enjoyed by all in the parish hall.


We encourage you to visit the official website of the Diocese of NY and NJ, www.nynjoca.org

 It includes information about various Diocesan activities:  Teen Retreats, Altar Servers Retreats, Mens and Womens Retreats, Family Fun Days, the Bishop’s schedule, etc.. 

Diocesan Guidelines and other vital documents are also available.  News about parish events and activities throughout the Diocese are also posted.

518-273-6262

kaolsen2410@gmail.com


OUR RELIQUARY

LIFE AT ST. BASIL'S

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SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Sunday of the Paralytic - May 11 - Mother's Day - 9:10 am - Hours and Divine Liturgy. No Church School. Coffee Hour

Saturday - May 17 - 5:30 pm - Great Vespers. Confession

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman - May 18 - 9:10 am - Hours and Divine Liturgy. Church School. Coffee Hour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       

                                                         

 

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REPOSE OF ABBOT OF HOLY CROSS MONASTERY, WAYNE, WV

Schema-Archimandrite Panteleimon (Voepel), abbot of Holy Cross Monastery, Wayne, WV fell asleep in the Lord April 24th, just after 3 a.m. He died peacefully at home, in the kellia where he has welcomed monks, clergy, and pilgrims for many years, surrounded by his devoted spiritual children. As he was nearing the end, his cell attendant read the Canon for the Departure of the Soul, and at the conclusion of the final prayer, Fr. Panteleimon quietly gave his soul back into God's hands.

The monastery clergy immediately prepared his body for burial. Once it was placed in a coffin, the monastic brotherhood processed from his kellia to their current chapel, where the first panakhida was served according to the special Bright Week rubrics. At the conclusion of the panakhida, the body was transferred to the nave of the new church, where it remained until the funeral. The funeral took place on Bright Saturday, April 26th. 

Please pray for the repose of the ever-memorable servant of God Schema-Archimandrite Panteleimon. May his memory be eternal!

Source:  Holy Cross Monastery, Wayne, WV

SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY AT CHERNIVTSI, UKRAINE

More than 4,000 faithful Ukrainian Orthodox Christians gathered at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Chernivtsi this weekend for the feast of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, proclaiming the true faith’s triumph over Iconoclasm and all heresies.

The local Orthodox have been prayerfully defending their cathedral against seizure by the schismatics of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” for several weeks now.

Following the Liturgy on Sunday, the faithful joyfully processed with icons. The video published by Orthobuk shows the procession being led by His Eminence Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and other hierarchs:

Having learned of the “legal” re-registration of the Holy Spirit Cathedral and other churches in Chernivtsi and the schismatics’ plans to violently seize the church buildings, the faithful first gathered on the night of February 19–20 to prayerfully defend their churches, and their round-the-flock vigil has continued since.

Hundreds of cathedral parishioners proclaimed their loyalty to Christ in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine at a parish meeting on Sunday, February 16.

Source:  OrthoChristian.com

3/11/2025

ROMANIAN CHURCH UNCOVERS THE RELICS OF VEN. CLEOPA AND PAISIE

On April 28, at the Sihastria Monastery, the rite of uncovering the holy relics of Venerable Cleopa (Ilie) and Paisie (Olaru) was performed—an important step in the process of their official glorification as saints.

Bishop Veniamin (Goryanu) of South Bessarabia and Bishop Nichifor (Horia) of Botoșani, Vicar of the Archdiocese of Iași, together with a gathering of clergy, performed a special liturgical rite on this occasion. During the service, the relics of Venerable Paisie and Cleopa were reverently exhumed from their resting places, carefully cleansed of soil, and placed in wooden coffins. Items preserved in their graves were collected and stored in specially prepared containers.

At the end of the service, their honorable relics were transferred into the monastery church of Sihastria, where the rite concluded with the chanting of troparia composed in honor of each saint.

The uncovering was carried out according to ecclesiastical regulations, as part of the proper preparation of the holy relics, which will later be enshrined in new reliquaries currently under construction. A formal local canonization of the two saints is expected to follow in the near future.

“This day will remain historic for all of us, forever engraved in our hearts, because we all witnessed God’s work on earth in a time of human weakness. It was a day of consolation, for as you all saw, the earth was wet, and water covered the remains and coffins of both fathers. But when we brought them out of the ground, the entire cemetery was filled with fragrance,” said Bishop Nichifor of Botoșani.

Source:  Orthochristian.com

  •  

PAT. PORFIRIJE OF SERBIA RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE

 

On 25 April 2025, in the grand hall of the Moscow Theological Academy, a solemn ceremony was held to award an honorary doctorate from this renowned theological institution to His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije.

In the presence of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia kyr Kirill, the ceremony was opened by the Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, His Grace Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov kyr Kirill, who emphasized: “In the contemporary world, where people's minds and hearts are constantly subjected to information attacks, often of an anti-Christian nature, religious theological thought is being revived in both Russia and Serbia for the benefit of our peoples, who are united by a thousand-year history and who cherish the memory of their ancestors. Both Russian and Serbian students of theological schools are called to convey to the minds of our contemporaries the highest truths of Christian morality, respect for the sacraments of the Church, and the importance of fulfilling Christ’s commandments.” He noted that students from the Serbian Orthodox Church traditionally make up a very significant portion of the foreign students at the main theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church — the Moscow Theological Academy and the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

The formal announcement then followed, declaring the decision to confer the honorary doctorate in theology upon His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije “for his recognized scholarly and educational contributions to the development of theology and the strengthening of ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church.” The diploma for this academic title was presented to the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia kyr Kirill.

“With deep respect, gratitude, and humility, I receive this extraordinary honor — the honorary doctorate awarded to me by the famed and respected Moscow Theological Academy at the Holy Trinity–St. Sergius Lavra. I see this recognition as one of the most significant milestones on the path of my many years of theological and scholarly research work, as well as in my pedagogical and educational service,” said Patriarch Porfirije. 

Thanking His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije for his substantial address, the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasized how important it is for words demanding not only spiritual reflection but also intellectual inquiry to be heard within the walls of theological schools. In his further remarks, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the challenges affecting religious consciousness, beginning from the era of the Renaissance and Baroque, through the Modern Age, and up to recent historical periods. Even then, the prevailing view was that a priest could not avoid being a philosopher — that is, someone who contemplates what is most important in life, who poses (both to himself and to others) profound questions. He must be prepared to answer those who ask such questions, and not only them but also those who might attempt to challenge certain claims or discuss given topics, including followers of various philosophical schools and tendencies. Every clergyman must be a thinker to the extent that his gifts and talents allow. Highlighting that a pastor’s words must correspond to current events and challenges, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia kyr Kirill stated:

“Of course, this does not mean that we should boast about or pride ourselves on some modern knowledge or appropriate someone else’s linguistic style. Absolutely not! We must speak in our own language, use our own concepts, but it is essential to frame what we speak about today in such a way that our words genuinely bring about a change of consciousness in people, strengthen their faith, and nurture virtues in the highest sense of the word — and, if you will, help create a philosophy of the contemporary Orthodox person in our land. Pastoral preaching must aim to assist the modern man, to help him become aware of and recognize the problems that stand before him.”

In this context, His Holiness reminded everyone — starting from students, teachers, professors, clergy, bishops, and even the patriarch himself — of the importance of asking questions: Is everything truly as it appears? Is it right? What else needs to be done? “I am not sure how accurate the answers we give to these questions are, nor how much they can truly impact the proper development of church life, but I deeply believe that without posing such questions, we will too quickly and easily become like a withered fig tree. Outwardly everything will appear polished, but inwardly, in essence, there will be nothing,” he said. At the end of his address, His Holiness Patriarch kyr Kirill concluded: “I am very pleased to be here today in this room together with my beloved brother, who heads the fraternal Serbian Orthodox Church. May the Lord help all of us — in Russia, Serbia, and in other countries — to be able to respond to these questions, these challenges, and the dangers facing the Church of God today.”

The solemn event was attended by members of the delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church: Archbishop of Novi Sad and Metropolitan of Bačka kyr Irinej, Archimandrite Hariton, Hegumen of the Kovilj Monastery; Protopresbyter Đorđe Stojsavljević, Head of the Cabinet of the Serbian Patriarch; Protodeacon Radomir Vrućinić, Rector of the Saint Sava Seminary in Belgrade; Protodeacon Radojica Žagran; Hierodeacon Justin, a monk of Kovilj Monastery; Deacon Ivan Vasiljević; and Subdeacons Dejan Nakić and Vladimir Jelić.

Among those present at the ceremony were also: Metropolitan of Voskresensk kyr Grigory, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate and First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the City of Moscow; Archbishop of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk kyr Thomas, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Protopresbyter Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Protopresbyter Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Hegumen Theophan, Head of the Protocol Sector of the Department for External Church Relations; Andrey Y. Koshev, Officer of the Secretariat of the Department for External Church Relations for Inter-Orthodox Relations; staff of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Moscow; as well as faculty and students of the Moscow Theological Academy.

Source:  Official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church

 

 

 

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