January 2025 News
Kali Chronia!
Hello and happy new year, dear friends of Saint Basil! We hope that this message finds you well and that 2025 is off to good start for you all. Here on campus, we are enjoying the treasures of a beautiful winter season with snow on the ground, sledding and snowball fun, and the tremendous natural beauty of this place we call home. It is such a gift for our children and families to be surrounded by nature, breathing fresh air, and having a safe and beautiful home in which they can heal, grow, and thrive.
January has been a month full of incredible things for all of us here at Saint Basil. We were warmly welcomed at two wonderful Vasilopita celebrations organized by the Philoptochos chapters of Kimisis Tis Theotokou in Poughkeepsie and Holy Trinity in Westfield, New Jersey. Our children and staff had a wonderful time at both, and we are so thankful for their continued love, friendship, and support.
We also participated in the third annual Midnight Run to feed the homeless in NYC with our friends from Saints Constantine and Helen in West Nyack. This is always such a powerful experience for our children, highlighting no only how much we have to be grateful for, but also that every single one of us is called to be of service to one another no matter how much or how little we may have. We are so appreciative that our friends at Saints Constantine and Helen give us this amazing life experience by inviting us to join them.
Over the past weekend, we were honored to host both the Boston and Pittsburgh cohorts of the Orthodox Volunteer Corps for their midyear retreat. The campus was buzzing with life as we all dined together, worshiped together, cut Vasilopita together, and even broke out into some impromptu Greek dancing! An extra special treat was that Deacon Kary set up his telescope, and we got to see Venus, Jupiter, and Mars!
The excitement of the weekend has carried over into today, with Sophia Theodorou, Maids of Athena District 6 Governor and beloved friend of Saint Basil, prepping the walls of what will be an amazing new sensory room sponsored, designed, and built by the District 6 Maids. It is an absolutely incredible project that we are so excited about. You can read all about the Maids of Athena District 6 Project here. Thank you so much, Sophia, and all the Maids! We love you!
We are very much looking forward to the coming months and excited to announce that we will be hosting a Lenten GOYA retreat here on campus on Saturday, March 22 from 9–5 focusing on Orthodox life and our own Lenten journeys. Seminarians from Hellenic College Holy Cross will be joining us for what promises to be a rich and fulfilling day. Youth grades 7–12 are welcome, and registration for the Lenten GOYA retreat can be found here. We hope that you can join us!
As we move forward into 2025, we can’t help but reflect on all the wonderful things that happened in 2024. Check out our 2024 Year-in-Review available on our website to get a glimpse of some of the highlights. We continue to count our blessings daily for the outpouring of love and support we receive from our neighbors, friends, and supporters like you. We are sending you all love and gratitude and hope to see you at one of our upcoming events! Please never hesitate to reach out with any questions or even just to say hello.
With love and gratitude,
The Saint Basil Academy Family
Upcoming Events
- Saturday, March 22nd
Lenten GOYA Retreat - Saturday, June 14th
Graduation & Sensory Room Unveiling - Saturday, September 20th
Walk-A-Thon
Support our work
As a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity, Saint Basil Academy depends upon the financial support of its beloved friends and donors. Our supporters contribute in many different ways, from monetary and material donations to naming Saint Basil as a beneficiary in life insurance and estate planning. Saint Basil Academy also has several earmarked funds in place for therapeutic art classes and outdoor excursions. Sponsoring a resident, becoming a host family, and/or referring a child to Saint Basil Academy are other vital ways of providing support as well. When you give to Saint Basil Academy, you are helping a child in need in a powerful way.
© Saint Basil Academy
© Saint Basil Academy