Pastoral Letter From His Grace Bishop BASIL

Diocese of Wichita & Mid-America
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

January 7, 2019

To the Chrst-loving Priest, Deacons, Monastics and Lay Folk of the God-protected Diocese of Wichita & Mid-America:

Blessings and greetings on this second day of Theophany — the Synaxis of the Honorable Prophet and Forerunner John the Baptist. Happy feast!

I take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt thanks to each of you who sent greetings to me and contributions to our Diocese's "Bishop Basil Missions Endowment Fund" on the occasion of my Name's Day, the Feast of St. Basil the Great which our holy Church keeps on January 1. I am indeed most appreciative of your thoughtful remembrances and generous contributions.

As an update on the "Bishop Basil Missions Endowment Fund," I am happy to report to you that Metropolitan Joseph blessed Archpriest Joseph Longofono of Topeka, KS, a longtime priest of our Diocese, to begin his ministry as DOWAMA's first full-time "Dean of Chapels" effective January 1. I thank you for your generous support for this innovative project which has been several years in the planning and which was unanimously approved by you at our Diocesan General Assembly this past June during our 2018 Parish Life Conference in Santa Fe, NM. The first three congregations which Fr. Joseph will serve in this new position are Holy Resurrection/Gillette, WY; St. John the Theologian/Rapid City, SD; and Ss. Peter & Paul/Topeka, KS. Many and sincere thanks to Archimandrite Jeremy (Davis) of Holy Ascension and his hardworking committee which has labored so diligently in preparing this proposal and seeing it through to its implementation.

Asking our good God — the All-holy Trinity — to bless each of you with a New Year filled with good news, good health and God's peace which passes all understanding.

In Christ,

+Bishop Basil