On Saturday, March 28, 2026, the feast of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the evening before, the funeral service for the newly reposed Archpriest Basil Mysak. The services were led by the Dean of the Atlantic States, Archpriest John Vass, concelebrating with the acting Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov); the head of the chancery, Priest Mark Rashkov; clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in the USA; and clergy from nearby parishes of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
After the Liturgy a litiya was served, after which Priest Mark Rashkov read a letter of condolence from Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, Temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada:
“Dear fathers, brothers and sisters!
Today we accompany on “the way of all the earth” (Josh. 23:14) Archpriest Basil — a conscientious laborer in the Field of Christ, who gave his whole adult life to the service of God and the Church.
The parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Scranton, where Fr. Basil served for more than forty years, has been orphaned. Several generations of Orthodox Christians grew spiritually under the sensitive guidance of Fr. Basil, who, in the words of the Apostle Paul, truly became “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).
At the same time, as a devoted son of the Church, Fr. Basil was caring and responsive to the life of all the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. For many years he helped with his wise advice and shared his experience as a member of the Bishop’s Council; he unfailingly took an active part in diocesan assemblies and treasured the joy of praying together with the bishop and his brother clergy at concelebrated services.
In recognition of his diligent ministry and in connection with the 40th anniversary of his service at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, for this year’s feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ awarded Fr. Basil a high hierarchical award — the right to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with the Royal Doors open, symbolizing the gates of Paradise.
Now, as we accompany our brother with gratitude and love to these gates of Paradise, we pray to the Heavenly Father: receive the soul of Thy faithful servant, Archpriest Basil, “grant him the crown of Thy righteousness, the portion of the saved in the glory of Thine elect, that he who labored for them in Thy name in this world may receive a great reward in Thy holy mansions, by the grace, compassion and love for mankind of Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ” (prayer from the funeral service for a priest).
Dear children and grandchildren of Fr. Basil! Dear fathers, brothers and sisters! Being unable to share in person the bitterness of this loss and to be consoled by common prayer at the coffin of the ever-memorable Archpriest Basil, I assure you of my unchanging love and sincere prayers for all of you, that the merciful Lord may wipe away your tears with the joy of the coming Pascha, for He has “trampled down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowed life.”
Then the coffin with the body of the newly reposed Archpriest Basil was carried in procession around the church in which he had served for more than forty years, to the singing of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete.
Fr. Basil was buried in the parish cemetery next to his wife, the ever-memorable Matushka Pamela Anne Mysak.
Photos and text: Reader George Konev, editor-in-chief mospatusa.com