Saint Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, in Baptism Called “Basil”

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How many peoples owe their knowledge of the Orthodox faith to the great prince St. Vladimir, equal to the apostles? The Russian Church gave birth to missions in Finland, Alaska, Shanghai, and Japan; to these we can add the mission in San Francisco and America, the emigre communities in Paris and Great Britain, and missions in a panoply of other nations throughout the world. Even in the multiethnic context of the Americas, where no one Church may claim sole responsibility for evangelization, the Church of Russia is given pride of place. She established the mission in Alaska and the original, multiethnic mission diocese as it existed prior to the nationalistic chaos that followed the Godless “revolution” of the Bolsheviks.

Even if we allow for the ethical ambiguities of St. Vladimir’s life, his conversion and baptism is a watershed in the history of Christianity in Russia. The conversion of the imperial family to Christianity meant that an entire nation of people was caught in the net of the apostolic fishermen.

Holy Vladimir, grreat prince of all Russia and equal to the apostles, pray for your homeland and ours, that our souls may be saved.

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