January Ministry Reflection: Building A Family of Saints

Icon of the family of St. Basil, commissioned by OYM and painted by the Saint John Chrysostomos Monastery

On January 1st, the Church celebrates St. Basil the Great, one of the great bishops and teachers of the Church. But Basil didn’t become a giant of Orthodoxy on his own. He was raised in a household of saints, a family where faith wasn’t something practiced occasionally, but something lived day in and day out.

If you look closely at the above icon of St. Basil’s family tree (commissioned by OYM, and painted by the Saint John Chrysostomos Monastery, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin), the reason becomes clear. His grandmother, parents, and five of his siblings are all recognized as saints. This wasn’t a coincidence. Holiness was formed, nurtured, and passed down in his home, one generation at a time.

A Faith Guarded and Handed On

The story begins with St. Macrina the Elder, Basil’s grandmother. She lived through the Roman persecutions and endured exile for her faith. Trained in the Orthodox faith by disciples of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, she preserved what she had received and handed it on faithfully to her children and grandchildren. Basil himself later spoke of her as a foundational influence on his life and faith.

Basil’s parents, St. Basil the Elder and St. Emmelia, created a home rooted in both learning and piety. Basil the Elder was a respected teacher, but it was the quiet witness of his life that left a lasting impression. Emmelia raised her children with prayer, discipline, and deep concern for the poor. Together, they formed a household where faith was woven into daily life.

From that home came an extraordinary group of brothers and sisters:

St. Macrina the Younger, Basil’s older sister, became the spiritual heart of the family. After the early death of her fiancé, she devoted her life entirely to Christ, eventually turning the family estate into a monastic community. Her wisdom deeply shaped Basil and his brother Gregory.

St. Basil the Great would go on to defend the faith, organize care for the poor, shape monastic life, and leave a theological legacy the Church still relies on today.

St. Gregory of Nyssa, his brother, became one of the Church’s most profound theologians and spiritual writers.

St. Peter of Sebaste, the youngest brother, served faithfully as a bishop, known for his humility and pastoral care.

St. Naucratius, another brother (who died young), lived a quiet life of prayer, asceticism, and service to the poor, and was deeply revered by his family for his faith.

Holiness Is Not Meant to Be Lived Alone

At OYM, this family is more than an inspiring story—it’s a vision. That’s why we’ve chosen St. Basil’s family as patron saints of our work (alongside the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste). Their lives remind us that holiness isn’t just about individual effort. It grows in homes, in relationships, and in communities where faith is shared and practiced together.

St. Basil’s home was a place where faith shaped everything, and the result was a family that left a profound and lasting legacy on the Church. This is what we hope to help cultivate in families, parishes, and youth ministries today: environments where faith becomes the air we breathe and saints are made.

As we begin a new year, may this holy household inspire us to build homes and communities that form saints, one generation at a time.

Happy Feast of St. Basil the Great, and Happy New Year!