Bishops, Clergy, and Faithful in the U. S. Bid Prayerful Farewell to Bishop Basil Losten
On September 15, 2024, after a brief illness, His Excellency Bishop Basil Losten, bishop-emeritus of Stamford, fell asleep in the Lord in the hospital in Stamford. Bishop Losten’s funeral services began on Saturday, September 21, with a viewing held from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at St. Basil Seminary Chapel. At 5:00 pm, a Parastas, a memorial prayer service, was offered in the same chapel.
The following day, Sunday, September 22, the viewing continued from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm at the seminary chapel. At 11:00 am, the Pontifical Divine Liturgy was celebrated, followed by another Parastas at 5:00 pm.
On Monday, September 23, Bishop Losten’s body was prepared for its final journey to Holy Spirit Cemetery. The Funeral Liturgy was held at 11:00 am at St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church, followed by a solemn procession to the burial site at Holy Spirit Cemetery, where Bishop Losten was laid to rest in the grounds of St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church.
In his homily at the Funeral Liturgy, metropolitan Borys Gudziak honored Bishop Basil H. Losten’s lifelong dedication to the Ukrainian Catholic Church, reflecting on his struggle for the independence, liberty, and dignity of the Church and its people.
Archbishop Gudziak remarked:
“The question of death and life is the most important question, and it is in the heart of the Church, to which Bishop Basil gave his life. Bishop Basil, through his whole life, called us out, called us to the gift of communion, the gift of fellowship in the Holy Spirit.”
Archbishop Gudziak also expressed his deep gratitude to Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, Archbishop-emeritus and Apostolic Administrator of Boston, The Most Reverend Gerardo J. Colacicco, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, and the Ukrainian Catholic bishops who gathered to pray and bid farewell to Bishop Losten. Their presence, he noted, was not only a sign of personal friendship but also a powerful witness to the community, calling all to live as Ecclesia and to share their gifts in fellowship.
ukrcatholic.org
