About Saint Basil the Great [Ruthenian] · Los Gatos, California
Saint Basil the Great Byzantine Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic (Ruthenian / Byzantine Rite) parish in Los Gatos, California, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (Pope Leo XIV). It belongs to the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix within the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh. The parish serves Byzantine-rite faithful across the South Bay and Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area — from Los Gatos to San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Fremont, and Santa Cruz. The community gathers every Sunday for Matins and the English-language Divine Liturgy, followed by a free parish lunch and fellowship, and is currently served by Father Anthony Hernandez.
- Established
- 1986
- Patron
- Saint Basil the Great (Basil of Caesarea, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Father Anthony Hernandez (ordained 2000)
- Diocese
- Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh); the parish sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of San Jose.
Why belong here
Saint Basil's offers a reverent, fully sung Byzantine Liturgy celebrated primarily in English (with occasional hymns in Church Slavonic and Greek) in a small, warm South Bay parish where every Catholic properly prepared and in full communion with the Church may receive Holy Communion. Parishioners enjoy a tight-knit rhythm of life — Matins, Divine Liturgy, confession, and a free communal lunch every Sunday — along with online Scripture study and Christian spirituality classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, all rooted in the apostolic tradition of the Eastern Roman Empire and the fullness of orthodox Catholic faith in communion with Rome.
Mass times at Saint Basil the Great [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 9:30–9:55 am (during the Canon of Matins, before the Divine Liturgy)
- Saturday: 4:30 pm (before Vespers)
About Saint Basil the Great Byzantine Catholic Church
Saint Basil the Great is an Eastern Catholic parish of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Rite in full communion with the Pope of Rome. The parish draws its liturgical heritage from the Eastern Roman Empire and the missionary work of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who brought Byzantine worship to the Slavic lands of Central and Eastern Europe. Descendants of those Catholics — Ruthenian (Carpatho-Rusyn) faithful — emigrated to the United States over the past century and brought their distinctive rite and traditions with them. Saint Basil's today serves English-speaking Eastern-rite Catholics from across the South Bay and Peninsula, valuing reverent worship, orthodoxy of faith, holy living, and warm Christian hospitality. Divine Liturgies and other services are celebrated in English, with occasional hymns and chants in Church Slavonic and Greek.
Parish History
Saint Basil the Great has its roots in 1969, when the Ruthenian mission in the San Francisco Bay Area was established as Saint Macrina in San Mateo, California, under the Eparchy of Parma. The parish was closed in 1985 amid pastoral reorganizations in the western states, and re-opened the next year (1986) at its present Los Gatos home under a new patron, Saint Basil the Great. The timing coincided with the canonical erection (December 3, 1981) of the Eparchy of Van Nuys — the Byzantine Ruthenian diocese created to serve faithful west of Parma, Ohio. Saint Basil's has been part of that western jurisdiction ever since, and in 2009 transitioned with it into the renamed Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix. Today the parish is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) Catholic church (EIN 47-1432690) and serves as the mother church and sacramental base for Ruthenian faithful across the greater Bay Area, including the Salinas-Monterey Outreach mission.
- 1969 — Saint Macrina founded as a Ruthenian mission in San Mateo, California
- 1981 — Eparchy of Van Nuys established for the western United States
- 1985 — Saint Macrina closes
- 1986 — Re-opened as Saint Basil the Great in Los Gatos
- 2009 — Jurisdiction renamed Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
Belonging to the Eparchy of Phoenix
Saint Basil's is a parish of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (eparchyofphoenix.org), itself part of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh. Although the eparchy is headquartered in Arizona and bears the Phoenix name, Saint Basil's in Los Gatos has remained a constituent parish since 1986 — first of the Eparchy of Van Nuys, then of the Eparchy of Phoenix from 2009 onward. Geographically, the parish sits within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose.
Worship & Liturgical Services
Saint Basil's celebrates the Byzantine liturgical cycle with a regular weekly rhythm of Matins, the Divine Liturgy, Vespers, and the Mystery of Repentance (Confession). The Sunday Divine Liturgy is fully sung and entirely in English, with the occasional hymn in Church Slavonic or Greek. Parishioners stand or sit (there is no kneeling), bow frequently, and venerate the icon screen; incense is used throughout. The typical Sunday is built around Matins (9:10 am), Confessions during the Canon of Matins, the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am, and a free parish lunch and fellowship after the service. Saturday afternoons offer Confessions at 4:30 pm and Great Vespers at 5:00 pm. Video recordings of the Sunday Divine Liturgy are published on the parish YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person.
- Sundays: 9:10 am Matins · 9:30–9:55 am Confessions · 10:00 am Divine Liturgy · free lunch after Liturgy
- Saturdays: 4:30 pm Confessions · 5:00 pm Vespers
- See the parish calendar for Holy Week and feast-day variations
Architecture, Icons & the Byzantine Interior
The church's most striking feature is its full iconostasis (icon screen) at the front of the church, with central 'holy doors' that represent the gates of heaven. Icons — traditionally called 'windows into heaven' — cover the walls in keeping with Byzantine Christian practice, surrounding worshippers with the saints, the Theotokos, and Christ at prayer. The architectural language is otherwise Eastern Christian rather than Roman: the celebrant leads from behind the icon screen, the faithful face east, and incense and continuous chant fill the space.
- Iconostasis with central holy doors (gates to heaven)
- Icons throughout the church ('windows into heaven')
- No kneeling — stand or sit, with frequent bowing
Sacraments & Holy Mysteries
Saint Basil's celebrates the seven Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Byzantine Catholic tradition, including the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist), the Mystery of Repentance (Confession), Holy Communion, and preparation for those becoming Catholic or returning to the sacraments. The parish notes that any Catholic properly prepared and in full communion with the Church may receive Holy Communion at Saint Basil's — Communion is distributed by intinction: the host is dipped into the chalice and given to the faithful on a spoon. Father Anthony Hernandez welcomes inquiries from those interested in becoming Catholic or in catching up on First Communion and Confession; preparation is personalized and the sacraments are received according to the traditions of the Byzantine Catholic Church.
- Divine Liturgy / Holy Communion
- Mystery of Repentance (Confession)
- Personalized preparation for those becoming Catholic
- Catch-up preparation for First Communion and Confession
Online Classes & Christian Formation
The parish offers two free online Zoom classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. Both are open to anyone who signs up through the parish Online Classes page. The Tuesday series, Eastern Catholic Scripture Study, reads and discusses themes from the Holy Scriptures in light of the holy tradition of the Church. The Thursday series, Eastern Christian Spiritual Traditions (also called Eastern Christian Spirituality), explores Liturgical and private prayer, theosis (divinization), and the saints. Recent topics have included the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1–8) and the Moleben prayer to Jesus the Lover of Mankind.
- Eastern Catholic Scripture Study — Tuesdays at 7:00 pm (Zoom)
- Eastern Christian Spiritual Traditions — Thursdays at 7:00 pm (Zoom)
- Free of charge; sign up via the parish website's Online Classes page
Fellowship & Community Life
A defining feature of life at Saint Basil's is the free Sunday lunch served after the Divine Liturgy. All visitors — regulars, newcomers, seekers — are invited to stay for food and Christian fellowship. This open-table hospitality is one of the parish's most distinctive expressions of community for a small Byzantine parish far from any large Eastern-Catholic population center.
- Free lunch every Sunday after the Divine Liturgy
- Open to all visitors and seekers
Salinas-Monterey Outreach Mission
Saint Basil's serves as the mother church for Byzantine-Ruthenian faithful in Monterey and San Benito counties. The parish's Salinas-Monterey Byzantine (Ruthenian) Outreach meets at the Blessed Brother Edmund Rice Chapel on the campus of Palma High School, 919 Iverson Street, Salinas. There, Father Anthony Hernandez celebrates the Divine Liturgy on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at 4:30 pm, with the Mystery of Reconciliation (Confession) offered on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from 4:10 to 4:25 pm. Sacramental records are kept at the Los Gatos parish.
- Venue: Blessed Brother Edmund Rice Chapel, Palma High School, 919 Iverson St, Salinas
- Divine Liturgy: 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 4:30 pm
- Confessions: 2nd & 4th Sundays, 4:10–4:25 pm
- Records and pastoral care: Saint Basil's, Los Gatos
Clergy
Saint Basil the Great is currently served by one priest, Father Anthony Hernandez, the pastor. He is the parish's primary point of contact for inquiries about the parish, the Eastern Catholic faith, becoming Catholic, receiving sacraments, and sacramental emergencies. Father Hernandez was ordained in 2000 and ministers to the Los Gatos community and the Salinas-Monterey outreach.
- Father Anthony Hernandez — Pastor (ordained 2000)
Visit, Contact & Practical Information
Saint Basil's welcomes visitors to its Sunday services and to the parish lunch that follows. The parish shares its address, phone, fax, and pastoral email on its website, and publishes recordings of the Sunday Divine Liturgy on its YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person. The church is located in a residential part of Los Gatos, just off Mulberry Drive, in the South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Address: 14263 Mulberry Drive, Los Gatos, CA 95032
- Phone: (408) 871-0919 · Fax: (408) 871-0911
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stbasil.org
- YouTube: channel UC25VC1dO8o6IKOgwkEOYNFg