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Bishop Basil Losten
On May 11, Bishop Basil Losten, the emeritus bishop of the Eparchy of Stamford, celebrated his 90th birthday. On this occasion, the primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church greeted him with a patriarchal letter.
“I would like to personally and on behalf of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of the great anniversary. Celebrating your 90th birthday is a big event for all of us. Together with you, we bring our prayers to the throne of the Most High, thanking Him for calling you to the path of sacrificial dedication to the Church and our people,” Patriarch Sviatoslav wrote.
“Bishop Basil became a good father for people in the lands of distant America, a zealous preacher of Christ’s truth, a defender of their rights and freedoms. As a devoted follower of Patriarch Josyf, the bishop worked on developing the patriarchal system. He expended great efforts on the development of the seminary in Stamford (Conn.), the graduates of which became many of our respected clergy. He took and continues to take an active part in the activities of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC,” the letter noted.
“All this testifies to you as a man of great faith and deep wisdom. Therefore, we greet you once again and wish you the help of the Holy Spirit in all your endeavors for the glory of God and for the good of the Church and the people,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav.
“May the merciful Lord thank you a hundredfold with His grace. May He accept the gift of your service as a pleasant sacrifice on His throne. May all the time that the Lord will assign to you be blessed and peaceful for you,” the head of the UGCC stated in his message.
Bishop Basil was born on May 11, 1930, in Chesapeake, Md. His ordination to the priesthood took place on June 10, 1957, with Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky, who later became the archbishop-metropolitan of Philadelphia, serving as the consecrator.
Father Losten was consecrated a bishop on May 25, 1971, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Philadelphia. On December 7, 1977, he was installed as eparch of Stamford by the new metropolitan-archbishop for Ukrainians in the United States, Joseph Schmondiuk.
UGCC Department of Information