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God is wondrous in His saints.
(Psalm 67:36)
Saint Basil the Great and Saint Maria of Paris have officially been designated as the patron saints of FOCUS North America.
Saint Basil was a fourth century bishop and theologian who constructed the “Basiliad,” a massive philanthropic complex that included a poorhouse, hospice, and hospital. Worn down by years of ascetic and pastoral labor, he reposed in 379 at just forty-nine years old. In his funeral oration for Basil, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus compared the Basiliad to the wonders of the ancient world.
Saint Maria was a twentieth century monastic and intellectual who established a variety of philanthropic ministries including schools, feeding programs, and hospitals. During the Nazi occupation of Paris, she helped support the persecuted Jewish population. She suffered for two years in Ravensbruck concentration camp, where she reposed on Holy Saturday in 1945.
Male and female, ancient and modern, old world and new world, these saints help embody both the diversity of lives that Christ has sanctified and the consistent commitment to service that God’s holy ones have demonstrated.
God truly is wondrous in His saints, not least of whom are Basil and Maria. May we, the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve, always have their prayers.
