Order of Saint Basil the Great
Encyclopedia
The Order of St. Basil the Great (OSBM , , Chyn Sviatoho Vasyliia Velykoho) also known as the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat is an monastic
religious order
of the Greek Catholic Church
es that is present in many countries and that has its Mother House in Rome. The order received approbation on August 20, 1631. Its monks, brothers, and priests work primarily with Ukrainian Catholics
and are also present in other Greek-Catholic Churches in Central and Eastern Europe.
The order is based upon the ascetic writings of Saint Basil the Great (329-379, in accordance with the Rule of St Basil laid down by him and later developed by Saint Theodore the Studite (760-826), Saint Theodosius of Kiev
(†1074), Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych (1580-1623) and the Metropolitan of Kiev Joseph Benjamin Rutsky (1574-1637).
Monastic life began to develop in Ukraine
in the times of Saint Vladimir the Great (980-1015), when the first monks settled in the caves near Kiev
led by Sts. Anthony
and Theodosius
. After the Mongol invasions in the 13th century the monks fled to western lands of Halych-Volhynia
and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, spreading Eastern Monasticism there. After the Eastern Rite Ruthenia
n (modern day Belarus
and Ukraine
) Church has re-affirmed its communion with the Catholic Church in the Union of Brest
in 1596. The monasteries living according to the rules of St. Basil and St. Theodore Studite, previously undergoing a period of laxity and decline, were reformed by the initiative of Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych and Joseph Benjamin Rutsky started in the monastery of the Holy Trinity in Vilnius
. Following this reform in 1617 the individual monasteries united into a single congregation under a Protarchimandrite directly subject to the Metropolitan, similar to the path Western Rite monasticism took during the Middle Ages. In 1739 a second congregation was formed by monasteries in Halychyna and in 1744 both congregations were united in the Ruthenian Order of St. Basil the Great by Pope Benedict XIV.
The Order of St. Basil the Great spread and flourished across modern day Belarus and Ukraine and played a key role in the education both of laity and clergy and helped preserve the distinctiveness of the Ruthenian culture in the predominantly Polish and Roman Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
until the partitions of Poland
by the end of the 18th century. In 1772 the Order had over 200 monasteries and over 1000 monks, six seminaries
, twenty schools and colleges and four printing houses.
In the last years of the 18th century most of the Ruthenian lands came under the Russian Empire
, where the Order along with the whole Ruthenian Church was persecuted and eventually the monasteries were subjected under the Russian Orthodox Church. A small part of modern day Ukraine came under the Austrian
rule were the fate of the Ruthenian Church was much better. However, the Order suffered under the policies of Emperor Joseph II, directed generally against all religious orders. In the second half of the 19th century efforts were undertaken to renew the Order. By 1882 it was reduced to just 60 monks in 14 monasteries. With permission from Pope Leo XII the Basilian Constitution was updated with help from the Society of Jesus
starting with Dobromyl
monastery, changing the character to one less sedentary and more missionary, among other things allowing the monks to work with Ukrainian diaspora
overseas. The Basilians reached Brazil
(1897), Canada
(1902), USA (1907) and Argentina
(1934). New provinces were established covering Transcarpathia
, Hungary
and Yugoslavia
and Romania
. By 1939 the number of monks rose to over 650. In 1944, the order purchased the John E. Aldred Estate
at Lattingtown, New York
and it is known as St. Josaphat's Monastery.
Following the Second World War, the Soviets entered further into Europe
and forced the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
into the catacombs. In all of the Soviet controlled territories only a single Basilian monastery was left open, in the Polish capital of Warsaw
. Nonetheless, the Order survived among the Ukrainian diaspora in the free world (and in communist Yugoslavia where the regime was relatively benign) and in Ukraine itself where the monks secretly prayed and catechesized.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Order was reëstablished in independent Ukraine
and other Central
and Eastern Europe
an countries such as Hungary
, Romania
and Slovakia
. Some old monasteries have been restored and new ones established. In 2001 there were over 600 monks, 300 of them in Ukraine.
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
of the Greek Catholic Church
Greek Catholic Church
The Greek Catholic Church consists of the Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine liturgical tradition and are thus in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.-List of Greek Catholic Churches:...
es that is present in many countries and that has its Mother House in Rome. The order received approbation on August 20, 1631. Its monks, brothers, and priests work primarily with Ukrainian Catholics
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
and are also present in other Greek-Catholic Churches in Central and Eastern Europe.
History
Theodosius of Kiev
Theodosius of Kiev is an 11th century saint who brought Cenobitic Monasticism to Kievan Rus' and, together with St Anthony of Kiev, founded the Kiev Caves Lavra...
(†1074), Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych (1580-1623) and the Metropolitan of Kiev Joseph Benjamin Rutsky (1574-1637).
Monastic life began to develop in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in the times of Saint Vladimir the Great (980-1015), when the first monks settled in the caves near Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
led by Sts. Anthony
Saint Anthony of Kiev
Anthony of Kiev was a monk and the founder of the monastic tradition in the Kievan Rus'. Also called Anthony of the Caves he, together with Theodosius of Kiev, co-founded Kiev Pechersk Lavra ....
and Theodosius
Theodosius of Kiev
Theodosius of Kiev is an 11th century saint who brought Cenobitic Monasticism to Kievan Rus' and, together with St Anthony of Kiev, founded the Kiev Caves Lavra...
. After the Mongol invasions in the 13th century the monks fled to western lands of Halych-Volhynia
Halych-Volhynia
The Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia or Kingdom of Rus or Galicia–Vladimir was a Ruthenian state in the regions of Galicia and Volhynia during 1199–1349. Along with Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal, it was one of the three most important powers to emerge from the collapse of Kievan Rus'...
and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, spreading Eastern Monasticism there. After the Eastern Rite Ruthenia
Ruthenia
Ruthenia is the Latin word used onwards from the 13th century, describing lands of the Ancient Rus in European manuscripts. Its geographic and culturo-ethnic name at that time was applied to the parts of Eastern Europe. Essentially, the word is a false Latin rendering of the ancient place name Rus...
n (modern day Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) Church has re-affirmed its communion with the Catholic Church in the Union of Brest
Union of Brest
Union of Brest or Union of Brześć refers to the 1595-1596 decision of the Church of Rus', the "Metropolia of Kiev-Halych and all Rus'", to break relations with the Patriarch of Constantinople and place themselves under the Pope of Rome. At the time, this church included most Ukrainians and...
in 1596. The monasteries living according to the rules of St. Basil and St. Theodore Studite, previously undergoing a period of laxity and decline, were reformed by the initiative of Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych and Joseph Benjamin Rutsky started in the monastery of the Holy Trinity in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. Following this reform in 1617 the individual monasteries united into a single congregation under a Protarchimandrite directly subject to the Metropolitan, similar to the path Western Rite monasticism took during the Middle Ages. In 1739 a second congregation was formed by monasteries in Halychyna and in 1744 both congregations were united in the Ruthenian Order of St. Basil the Great by Pope Benedict XIV.
The Order of St. Basil the Great spread and flourished across modern day Belarus and Ukraine and played a key role in the education both of laity and clergy and helped preserve the distinctiveness of the Ruthenian culture in the predominantly Polish and Roman Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
until the partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
by the end of the 18th century. In 1772 the Order had over 200 monasteries and over 1000 monks, six seminaries
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, twenty schools and colleges and four printing houses.
In the last years of the 18th century most of the Ruthenian lands came under the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, where the Order along with the whole Ruthenian Church was persecuted and eventually the monasteries were subjected under the Russian Orthodox Church. A small part of modern day Ukraine came under the Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
rule were the fate of the Ruthenian Church was much better. However, the Order suffered under the policies of Emperor Joseph II, directed generally against all religious orders. In the second half of the 19th century efforts were undertaken to renew the Order. By 1882 it was reduced to just 60 monks in 14 monasteries. With permission from Pope Leo XII the Basilian Constitution was updated with help from the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
starting with Dobromyl
Dobromyl
Dobromyl is a city in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located at around , some 5 kilometers to the border with Poland. Population: 5,000 ....
monastery, changing the character to one less sedentary and more missionary, among other things allowing the monks to work with Ukrainian diaspora
Ukrainian diaspora
The Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
overseas. The Basilians reached Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(1897), Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(1902), USA (1907) and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
(1934). New provinces were established covering Transcarpathia
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. By 1939 the number of monks rose to over 650. In 1944, the order purchased the John E. Aldred Estate
John E. Aldred Estate
John E. Aldred Estate, also known as St. Josaphat's Monastery, is a historic estate located at Lattingtown in Nassau County, New York. It was designed in 1916 by noted architect Bertram Goodhue for public utility executive John Edward Aldred. The grounds were designed by the Olmsted Brothers...
at Lattingtown, New York
Lattingtown, New York
The Village of Lattingtown is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,739 at the 2010 census. Initially, Lattingtown was a marsh, populated by Matinecock Indians who lived nearby. The Matinecocks sold the area in 1660 to...
and it is known as St. Josaphat's Monastery.
Following the Second World War, the Soviets entered further into Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and forced the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
into the catacombs. In all of the Soviet controlled territories only a single Basilian monastery was left open, in the Polish capital of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. Nonetheless, the Order survived among the Ukrainian diaspora in the free world (and in communist Yugoslavia where the regime was relatively benign) and in Ukraine itself where the monks secretly prayed and catechesized.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Order was reëstablished in independent Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and other Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an countries such as Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. Some old monasteries have been restored and new ones established. In 2001 there were over 600 monks, 300 of them in Ukraine.
Notable Basilians
- Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych - Bishop and Martyr
- Blessed Josaphat KotsylovskyJosaphat KotsylovskyBlessed Josaphat Joseph Kotsylovsky was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishop and martyr.Kotsylovsky was born 3 March 1876 in the village of Pakoszowka , of the Lemko Region. Kotsylovsky was of Lemko origin, and Ukrainian national orientation...
- Bishop and Martyr - Blessed Paul GojdičPavol Peter GojdicPavol Gojdič, also known as Pavel Peter Gojdič or Peter Gojdič , was a Basilian monk and the bishop of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Prešov martyred by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia....
- Bishop and Martyr - Blessed Severian BaranykSeverian BaranykBlessed Severian Stefan Baranyk was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest and martyr.Baranyk was born in Austrian Galicia . He entered the Monastery of the Order of St Basil the Great in Krekhiv in 1904. On May 16, he took his first monastic vows and then on September 21, 1910 he took his perpetual...
- Priest and Martyr - Blessed Yakym Senkivskyi Yakym SenkivskyiBlessed Yakym Senkivskyi was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest and martyr.Senkivskyi was born in the village of Hayi Velykyi in Ternopil Oblast. He studied theology in Lviv, and was ordained a priest on 4 December 1921. He received a doctorate in theology from Innsbruck. In 1923 he went to...
- Priest and Martyr - Blessed Vitaliy Bairak - Priest and Martyr
- Servant of God Andrew Sheptytsky - Confessor of the Faith
- Blessed Josaphata HordashevskaJosaphata HordashevskaBlessed Josaphata Hordashevska, S.S.M.I., born Michaelina Hordashevska, a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Religious Sister, was the first member of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate....
- Foundress, Teacher, and Missionary
External links
- History and facts about the Order of St. Basil the Great
- ЧСВВ Провінція Найсвятішого Спасителя в Україні Province of the Most Holy Redeemer in Ukraine