On Wednesday, April 3rd, students and teachers of Saint Basil Orthodox Church in Watervliet NY, together with Archpriest Peter Olsen (parish rector), helped out at the “Open Table Soup Kitchen” (an outreach project of the Watervliet Methodist Church). The activity involved food preparation and set-up for the meal served later in the day. The soup kitchen serves approximately 100 people every Wednesday. Saint Basil Church School is also leading an effort to increase the on-going food collection by the parish for the “Open Table Pantry” during Great Lent.

The cornerstone of Saint Basil Church was laid and blessed by Saint (Father) Alexander Hotovitsky on November 21, 1901. Father Alexander traveled from New York City to conduct liturgical services for the people of Saint Basil's. The congregation continued to grow and a new, larger church became necessary and was blessed by Metropolitan Theophilus in September 1945. This church building remains to this day and has been the site of countless sacraments and blessings to the many generations of Saint Basil's parish. The faithful will celebrate their parish's 112th Anniversary this year.