About St. Basil Catholic Church · South Haven, Michigan
St. Basil Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in South Haven, Michigan, located at 513 Monroe Boulevard and best known for its iconic 1923 church overlooking the blue waters of Lake Michigan. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Kalamazoo and is currently joined in a collaborative with St. Peter Parish in Douglas and San Felipe de Jesús Mission Parish in Fennville. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish, with a Saturday-evening Misa en Español, weekday devotions, and Eucharistic Adoration forming the rhythm of parish life.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- St. Basil the Great
- Rector
- Rev. Evelio Ramírez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kalamazoo (Northern Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Basil welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics onto a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan for reverent liturgy, daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and a Saturday evening Misa en Español. A growing faith-formation program (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, OCIA, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation preparation, plus junior-high and tween ministry) makes the parish a strong choice for families with children, while dedicated outreach through the Hispanic Ministry and the Apostleship of the Imprisoned keeps the parish rooted in service beyond its walls.
Mass times at St. Basil Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM (per parish website homepage)
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 PM (per Diocesan Directory and DiscoverMass listing)
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Adoration in Spanish)
- Friday 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Parish Overview & Mission
St. Basil Catholic Church is the historic Roman Catholic parish of South Haven, Michigan, sitting on the Lake Michigan bluff and serving English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics along the lakeshore. The parish describes its mission in a single sentence printed on its homepage: 'Called by Baptism, nourished by the Eucharist, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, our mission is to live the Good News of Christ through Worship, Evangelization, Service, Spiritual Formation, and Stewardship.'
- Parish tagline: 'Overlooking Lake Michigan, St. Basil Parish stands as a beacon to all.' (South Haven visitor directory)
- Five pillars of parish life: Worship, Evangelization, Service, Spiritual Formation, Stewardship
- Bilingual (English / Spanish) community
- Member of a collaborative with St. Peter Parish (Douglas) and San Felipe de Jesús Mission (Fennville)
History
The parish was organized in 1884 and rebuilt in its present iconic form in 1923 after a fire destroyed the earlier structure; its parochial school opened in 1950 and closed in 2025. See the 'history' field above for the full story, including the timeline of pastors and the formation of the current collaborative.
- 1884 – Parish organized
- 1922–1923 – Earlier church lost to fire; current church built on the same site, visible from Lake Michigan
- 1950 – St. Basil Catholic School opens
- 2007 – Fr. Robert Flickinger begins his pastorate
- 2016 – Fr. James Morris named Pastor in solidum; Fr. Flickinger becomes Senior Parochial Vicar
- 2022 – Fr. Morris retires; Fr. Richard Altine named Senior Parochial Vicar
- 2023 – Fr. Evelio Ramírez named Pastor of the new collaborative with St. Peter (Douglas) and San Felipe de Jesús (Fennville)
- 2024–2025 – Parochial school closes at the end of the academic year
- 2025 – Dcn. Jerónimo Méndez-Gutiérrez appointed to assist at St. Basil
Mass & Worship Schedule
Weekend and daily Masses gather the parish around the Eucharist; Mass is offered in English most days, with a Saturday-evening Mass in Spanish. The full schedule below is taken from the parish's website and the Diocesan Directory.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 PM (English)
- Saturday Vigil — 7:00 PM (Misa en Español)
- Sunday — 9:00 AM English
- Sunday — 11:00 AM English (during school year)
- Tuesday–Thursday — 9:00 AM daily Mass (per parish website)
- Friday — 9:00 AM daily Mass
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Following the closure of St. Basil Catholic School in 2025, the parish is rebuilding a parish-based faith-formation program for ages 3 through adult. The published job description for the Director of Faith Formation lays out a comprehensive, multi-age model built on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at the early-childhood level and classic sacrament-preparation tracks for older children.
- Ages 3–6 — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Grades K–8 — general parish faith formation
- Grade 2 — Reconciliation preparation
- Grade 3 — First Eucharist preparation
- Grade 4–6 — 'Tweens' programming
- Grades 7–8 — Junior High Ministry (Grade 8 includes the start of Confirmation preparation)
- Grade 9 — Confirmation preparation
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (coordinator: Geralyn Monacelli)
- Family and parent sessions keyed to each age level
- Director of Faith Formation: Susan Bippley ([email protected])
St. Basil Catholic School (1950–2025)
St. Basil School opened in 1950 and served South Haven-area Catholic families for 75 years before closing at the end of the 2024–2025 academic year. The parish now coordinates faith formation directly, while the surrounding area's Catholic school options include the diocesan elementary and secondary schools of the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
- Founded 1950
- Closed end of 2024–2025 academic year
- Pre-school through middle-school grades during its operation
- A separate campus website (saintbasilcatholic.com) carried school news and admissions information
Hispanic Ministry / Ministerio Hispano
St. Basil has a long-standing ministry to the area's Spanish-speaking Catholics, especially migrant farm-working families. The parish offers a Saturday-evening Mass in Spanish and a Thursday-night Holy Hour in Spanish, and a Sister from the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit directs outreach to the Hispanic community.
- Misa en Español — Saturdays 7:00 PM
- Adoración en Español — Thursdays 6:00–9:00 PM
- Hispanic Community Ministry coordinated by Sr. Leidy Johanna Zuñiga, MSDE ([email protected])
- Long history of outreach to migrant farm workers under pastor Fr. Bob Flickinger (2007–c.2016)
Clergy, Deacons & Parish Staff
Pastoral leadership of the parish is shared between Pastor Fr. Evelio Ramírez and Parochial Vicar Fr. Jacob Sundararaju, MSFS, supported by a senior priest, a pastoral associate, a director of faith formation, parish deacons, and an office team.
- Pastor — Rev. Evelio Ramírez ([email protected])
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Jacob Sundararaju, MSFS ([email protected])
- Senior Parochial Vicar — Rev. Richard Altine (also Director, Apostolate for the Imprisoned)
- Deacon — Dcn. John Lohrstorfer
- Deacon — Dcn. Jerónimo Méndez-Gutiérrez (appointed Nov 1, 2024)
- Pastoral Associate — Tom Eggleston
- Director of Faith Formation — Susan Bippley
- Hispanic Ministry — Sr. Leidy Johanna Zuñiga, MSDE
- OCIA — Geralyn Monacelli
- Office Manager — Andrea Aleman
- Bulletin Editor / Safe Environment — Cecilia Wondergem
Pastoral Care, Outreach & Stewardship
Beyond the Mass schedule, St. Basil participates in the diocesan Apostolate for the Imprisoned through Fr. Richard Altine and welcomes parishioners into a stewardship model that the parish describes in five pillars: Worship, Evangelization, Service, Spiritual Formation, and Stewardship. The parish's online giving page lists 'Enhanced Offering' as a giving option, and bulletins/announcements are distributed to keep members connected.
- Worship — daily and weekend Mass, Adoration, devotions
- Evangelization — bilingual outreach to the lakeshore community
- Service — Apostolate for the Imprisoned, Hispanic Community Ministry
- Spiritual Formation — OCIA, adult faith offerings
- Stewardship — parish giving / 'Enhanced Offering' online platform
Visiting & Contact
St. Basil is located at 513 Monroe Blvd. on the bluff in South Haven, Michigan. The parish office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 9:00 AM–3:30 PM; Wednesday 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; and Friday 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. The church grounds include barrier-free access to the church and to the new parish administration center.
- Address — 513 Monroe Blvd., South Haven, MI 49090
- Phone — (269) 637-2404
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — https://saintbasilcatholicchurch.org/
- Parish Office Hours — Mon/Tue/Thu 9:00 AM–3:30 PM; Wed 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Accessibility — barrier-free access to the church and parish administration center
- Winter — parish closes with South Haven area schools; announcements on WWMT (Ch. 3) and WOOD TV (Ch. 8)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- (Founding pastor / 1884-era clergy)1884–
Parish organized in 1884 in South Haven; founding-era clergy not separately published online.
- Rev. Robert ("Bob") Flickinger2007–c.2016
Began as pastor in 2007; served roughly 10 years; known for outreach to Hispanic and migrant farm-worker communities and for ministry in El Salvador. Reassigned by Bishop Bradley in 2016 as Senior Parochial Vicar of the collaborative.
- Rev. James Morris2016–2022
Appointed Pastor in solidum of the collaborative of St. Basil (South Haven), Sacred Heart (Bangor), and St. Jude (Gobles) in 2016; retired from parish ministry and moved to Senior Priest status in 2022.
- Rev. Richard Altine2022–present
Appointed Senior Parochial Vicar in 2022 at the same time Fr. Morris retired; continues to serve as Director of the diocesan Apostolate for the Imprisoned.
- Rev. Fabio Garzon2023 (brief)
Listed as outgoing pastor in the 2023 transition; concluded his assignment July 5, 2023, before taking a temporary assignment as Delegate to the Apostolic Administrator.
- Rev. Evelio Ramírez2023–present
Appointed Pastor of the new collaborative of St. Peter (Douglas), St. Basil (South Haven), and San Felipe de Jesús (Fennville) effective July 5, 2023; continues to lead the parish in 2025.