Winter 2023 Newsletter

Kali Chronia, and Happy New Year, everyone!

This winter has been a very special time here at Saint Basil Academy. Back in December, we were finally able to host our annual Christmas celebration in person! Click here to read more about it in the Orthodox Observer. It was a beautiful and joyful day, and thank you so much to all our guests, friends, and supporters for making it so special.

2023 has already brought us many gifts in the form of parish visits, Vasilopita celebrations, and a campus-wide trip to the Holiday Train Show at the Bronx Botanical Garden sponsored by the Archdiocesan Cathedral Philoptochos Society. The trip culminated with a delicious meal hosted by our friends at Gallagher’s Steak House. A wonderful time was had by all, and we are tremendously grateful for the love and generosity with which our supporters continually bless us.

The Year of the Neighbor

This year, we are starting a new tradition here at Saint Basil by designating a yearly theme. It will serve as both an inspiration as well as an anchor that we will keep at the heart of all that we do. We are declaring 2023 to be the Saint Basil Academy Year of the Neighbor! Throughout the year, Saint Basil staff and residents will explore what it means to be a good neighbor both on and off campus; in our Saint Basil community as well as in the broader Orthodox community; in our own town as well as other parts of the state, the nation, and the world.

Two events have already launched the Year of the Neighbor at Saint Basil Academy. The first was when we joined our dear friends at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in West Nyack, New York for a Midnight Run distributing food, clothing, and toiletries to homeless people on the streets of Manhattan. It was an important reminder of how blessed all of us are as well as how important it is to be both generous and thankful.

The second Year of the Neighbor event occurred over this past weekend as we welcomed members of the Orthodox Volunteer Corps onto campus for their mid-year retreat. Individuals from many different Orthodox communities from across the nation came together, united in their dedication to faithful service. It was a time of prayer, reflection, goal-setting, and wonderful parea.

You will continue to hear more news from us about the Year of the Neighbor throughout 2023. In the meantime, we send our love and our gratitude for the honor of being your neighbor.

What is the mark of love for your neighbor? Not to seek what is for your own benefit, but what is for the benefit of the one loved, both in body and in soul.

-Saint Basil the Great of Caesarea

SBA in the News!

Back in the fall, our friends from AHEPA Chapter 319 hosted their Fifth Annual Fishing Trip with the children of Saint Basil Academy! Read all about it here.

In addition to their very generous Christmas presents, AHEPA and DOP District 6 partnered with Father Michael Palamara and the congregation of Saint Constantine and Helen to raise funds to send our kids to Rocking Horse Ranch! Read all about it here.