St. Basil's Orthodox Church to Celebrate 125th Anniversary and Church Consecration

His Eminence Archbishop Michael will preside at the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of St. Basil's Orthodox Church in Watervliet, New York , on October 17–18, 2026 , culminating in the long-awaited Consecration of the Church and the celebration of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

Founded in 1901, St. Basil's traces its beginnings to Orthodox immigrants who settled in the Watervliet area and established a parish centered on the Orthodox Faith. The original chapel was blessed by Saint Tikhon , later Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America, together with Saint Alexander Hotovitsky , making this anniversary especially significant in the life of the Diocese.