Bishop Basil H. Losten

+Bishop Basil H. Losten With deep sorrow, the Eparchy of Stamford announces that in the early hours of September 15, 2024, following a brief illness, His Excellency, Bishop Basil Losten fell asleep in the Lord in Stamford Hospital. He was a priest for 67 years and a bishop for 53 years. He leaves to mourn his nieces, Michelle, Jan, Anna Jean, and nephews, Michael, Albert, Dr. William and their families, as well as many friends and faithful of the Stamford Eparchy and beyond. Basil Harry Losten was born in Chesapeake City, Maryland to Ivan (John) Losten and Julia Petryshyn on May 11, 1930. Basil was the youngest of ten children who were raised on a dairy farm owned and operated by his parents. He attended St. Basil’s Prep School in Stamford Connecticut where one of his nicknames was “milkman”. This term of endearment was a nod to the family farm. He graduated from St. Basil’s Prep in 1949. The young Basil continued his education at St. Basil’s College Seminary in Stamford, CT. He graduated in 1953 with a B.A. in Philosophy. He spent the next four years studying theology and preparing for the priesthood at St. Josaphat Major Seminary in Washington, D.C., where he earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from The Catholic University of America in 1957. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Constantine Bohachevsky on June 10, 1957 at the age of 27. He served in several pastoral assignments including initially as an assistant pastor in the Philadelphia Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He also served as a secretary to Bishop Bohachevsky and later Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn. He was assigned for a period to the parish in Bristol, PA and later the parish in Camden, NJ, while also becoming Bishop Senyshyn’s driver and secretary. He was instrumental in organizing various projects for the Archeparchy of Philadelphia and especially the building of Ascension Manor – a residence for the elderly. Because of his dedication and zeal for service he was raised to the rank of Papal Chamberlain in 1968, and, three years later, on May 25, 1971, he, along with Rev. John Stock, was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia. Following the death of Metropolitan Senyshyn, Bishop Basil was appointed as Bishop of Stamford on September 20, 1977 and was installed on December 7, 1977 in St. Basil College Seminary Chapel. He was 47 years old. His zeal for pastoral work was manifested in his care for education, especially for priestly vocations. He established a diocesan paper, The Sower, and was involved in multiple publications and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, CT. His work in Ukraine during Soviet times grew incrementally and then exponentially when freedom for the Ukrainian Catholic Church arrived in 1989 and Ukrainian independence was proclaimed in 1991. He was an indefatigable and talented fundraiser who raised millions of dollars towards rebuilding the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine following half a century of Communist oppression, in particular towards the construction of the new Holy Resurrection Sobor in Kyiv. Bishop Basil was an active member of the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) during his entire episcopacy and served for many years on the Committee for Catholic-Jewish Dialogue. Bishop Basil retired as Bishop of Stamford on January 3, 2006 at the age of 75 years but continued to serve the Church even in his retirement as a generous benefactor of the Ukrainian Museum and Library of Stamford, the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine, in the endowment of a Ukrainian Church Studies program at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC, and of countless other ecclesial and civic causes. The motto on his episcopal coat of arms was “Fortitude” which perfectly encapsulates the dedication and zeal with which he served God, the Church, and the faithful throughout his long and fruitful life. May he rest with God! In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Seminary for the education of priests. Family welcomes you to funeral services that will be held in his honor over the weekend at the St. Basil Seminary Chapel, 195 Glenbrook Road, in Stamford, CT. Saturday, September 21st: Viewing will be held from 4pm – 8pm and Parastas at 5pm. Sunday, September 22nd: Viewing will be from 10am – 8pm. The Pontifical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 11am and Parastas at 5pm. Monday, September, 23rd: A Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated at 11am at St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church, 141 Sarah Wells Trail, Campbell Hall, in NY. Procession to follow to the burial site at Holy Spirit Cemetery. Bosak Funeral Home & Cremation, 453 Shippan Ave, in Stamford, CT has been entrusted with arrangements. If you wish to make an online remembrance for the family, you may sign the family guestbook at www.bosakfuneralhome.com .

Bishop Basil H. Losten

May 11, 1930 - September 15, 2024