St. Basil the Great

Basil came from a family of saints in Cappadocia, and he studied in Athens with his friend Gregory the Theologian. He lived as a monk and wrote the rules that still shape Orthodox monastic life. As archbishop of Caesarea he built a whole new quarter outside the city, with a hospital, a poorhouse and a hostel for travellers, and he faced down the Arian emperor Valens. His book On the Holy Spirit helped prepare the Council of 381. He died at about 49, and the Divine Liturgy that bears his name is served on Sundays in Lent. On his feast, January 1, Greeks cut the vasilopita.

• Feast: January 1 (New Calendar)
• Lived: 330–379
• Place: Caesarea, Cappadocia