Sts Basil the Elder and Emmelia

[Myles A. Bailey]

Who are these two holy saints? They headed a household of holy children including two of the greatest theologians who have ever walked the earth yet I can find precious little information about them? Can anyone help me out?

God love you
Myles

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

In the Life of Macrina by St. Gregory of Nyssa there is some brief information about these two saints. In any case since we have so much information about many of their children perhaps the proverb about the fruit not falling far from the tree is applicable here.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

PS: Matthew- thanks for the new option enabling us to revise our posts before a final posting.

[Olga]

St Basil the Elder of Cappadocia and his wife Emilia (various spellings) were the parents of nine or ten children (different sources say different things), of whom five became saints. These are: Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Macrina the Younger (to distinguish her from her grandmother Macrina the Elder), Peter the bishop of Sebaste and Theosebeia the deaconess. (There are some who erroneously describe Theosebeia as Gregory of Nyssa's wife.) I have a document on file which I can gladly email you which is a compilation of as much as I could find on St Emilia's life. (A couple of years ago, my husband became godfather to a little Emilia, and one of our gifts to her was a booklet I prepared containing the life of her patron saint.)

[Myles A. Bailey]

Thanks very much both of you http://www.monachos.net/mb/clipart/happy.gif