About St. Basil the Great (Byzantine-Rite) · Charlotte, North Carolina
St. Basil the Great Parish is an Eastern (Byzantine-Rite) Catholic community of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 2006 as a mission under the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma (Ohio), it was elevated to full parish status in March 2018 by Bishop Bohdan Danylo. The faithful gather for the Byzantine Divine Liturgy at Aquinas Hall on the campus of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on Suther Road, where they live out the ancient liturgical, spiritual and devotional traditions of Eastern Christianity — Divine Liturgy, Great Vespers, the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great in Great Lent and on Christmas Day, and the veneration of icons and relics. The multi-ethnic congregation has grown steadily and has already planted daughter Byzantine missions in the Greenville and Columbia areas of South Carolina.
- Established
- 2006
- Patron
- St. Basil the Great (Bishop and Doctor of the Church, patron of the parish)
- Rector
- Father Joseph Matlak
- Diocese
- Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma (Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church); located geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
Why belong here
St. Basil the Great offers Charlotte-area Catholics — and anyone drawn to the Christian East — a chance to encounter the ancient beauty of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, celebrated faithfully each week with chant, incense, and iconography rooted in nearly two thousand years of tradition. The community is intentionally multi-ethnic and warmly welcomes Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and seekers, with public Vespers on Saturday evenings and the Sunday Divine Liturgy on the St. Thomas Aquinas campus. Active in evangelization, education (Fr. Matlak teaches at Belmont Abbey College), and mission — it has already planted Byzantine communities in Greenville and Columbia, S.C. — St. Basil's is a small but vibrant parish where newcomers can experience the fullness of Eastern Catholic spirituality in communion with Rome.
Mass times at St. Basil the Great (Byzantine-Rite)
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Basil the Great Parish
St. Basil the Great is an Eastern (Byzantine-Rite) Catholic parish of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, meeting on the campus of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at 1400 Suther Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 2006 and elevated to parish status in 2018, the multi-ethnic community celebrates the ancient Byzantine Divine Liturgy in English, with chant, incense, and the veneration of icons at the heart of its worship.
- Byzantine (Eastern) Catholic, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church
- Located at Aquinas Hall / Chapel, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte, NC 28213
- Meets in the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
- Canonical home: Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio
History
Founded in 2006 as an Eastern Catholic mission under the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, St. Basil's spent its first decade without a resident priest, gathering on the campus of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with the support of the local Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. In 2015 Father Joseph Matlak was assigned as administrator and became the community's first resident pastor. On March 18, 2018, Bishop Bohdan Danylo formally raised the mission to parish status during a pastoral visit and the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. The parish has continued to grow, occupying essentially all of Aquinas Hall, and in 2019 hosted a joint celebration with Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte. St. Basil's has also planted two daughter Byzantine missions in South Carolina.
- 2006 — Mission established under the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma
- 2015 — Fr. Joseph Matlak becomes administrator; first resident pastor
- March 18, 2018 — Elevated to parish status by Bishop Bohdan Danylo
- October 13, 2019 — Joint Divine Liturgy with Bishop Danylo and Bishop Michael Martin
- Daughter missions planted: Dormition of the Mother of God (Greenville, S.C.) and Holy Cross (Columbia, S.C.)
Pastor: Father Joseph Matlak
Father Joseph Matlak is a priest of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma and the pastor of St. Basil the Great Parish. Born in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England, he studied Ancient History at King's College London before completing seminary studies and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He is currently completing a doctorate in theology at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, England. He was ordained on October 1, 2015 at St. Josaphat Cathedral in Parma, Ohio by Bishop Bohdan Danylo. Canonically a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic priest, Fr. Matlak has also received faculties from the Congregation of the Eastern Churches to celebrate in the Latin rite, making him 'tri-ritual' — Byzantine, Latin Ordinary Form, and Latin Extraordinary Form.
- Ordained October 1, 2015, St. Josaphat Cathedral, Parma, Ohio
- Married in 2014 to Katie Ann Matlak
- Tri-ritual: Byzantine, Latin Ordinary Form, Latin Extraordinary Form
- Chaplain, Holy Trinity Middle School (Diocese of Charlotte)
- Instructor, Honors College of Belmont Abbey College
Liturgical and Spiritual Life
Worship at St. Basil's is rooted in the Byzantine liturgical tradition, celebrated in English with the chant, incense, and iconography characteristic of Eastern Christianity. The community prays the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on most Sundays, and the more ancient Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on his feast day (January 1), the Sundays of Great Lent, and on certain major feasts. Great Vespers is prayed publicly on Saturday evenings. The parish venerates icons and has hosted first-class relics of St. Basil the Great and St. Josaphat, as well as a relic of the True Cross.
- Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (most Sundays)
- Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (January 1, Great Lent, Christmas/Theophany, Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday)
- Great Vespers (Saturday evenings)
- Iconography, chant, incense, and the Eastern liturgical cycle
Mission and Outreach
St. Basil the Great has a strong missionary identity. Soon after being elevated to parish status, the community planted two daughter Eastern Catholic missions in South Carolina, extending Byzantine liturgical and spiritual life into the Upstate and Midlands. The parish also describes its calling in terms of evangelization, 'to make disciples of all people by the proclamation of the Gospel,' and looks forward to one day building its own traditional Eastern-Byzantine church in Charlotte.
- Dormition (Assumption) of the Mother of God Eastern Catholic Mission — greater Greenville, S.C. area (meets at St. Rafka Maronite Catholic Church, Greer, S.C.)
- Holy Cross Eastern Catholic Mission — greater Columbia, S.C. area (meets at Transfiguration Roman Catholic Church, Blythewood, S.C.)
- Long-term goal of building a traditional Eastern-Byzantine church in Charlotte
Connection with the Diocese of Charlotte
Although canonically a parish of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, St. Basil the Great sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and has enjoyed a close, supportive relationship with it from the founding of the mission. Bishop Bohdan Danylo has publicly thanked the Diocese of Charlotte for its hospitality and support over more than two decades, and in 2019 Bishop Michael Martin joined Bishop Danylo for a joint celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Basil's. Fr. Matlak also serves as chaplain of Holy Trinity Middle School in the diocese and teaches at Belmont Abbey College.
- Geographic territory: Diocese of Charlotte (Roman Catholic)
- Canonical jurisdiction: Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma (Ukrainian Greek-Catholic)
- Diocesan support cited publicly by Bishop Danylo in 2019
- Fr. Matlak serves as chaplain at Holy Trinity Middle School and faculty at Belmont Abbey College
Visit and Contact
Visitors and parishioners gather at Aquinas Hall on the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church campus at 1400 Suther Road in east Charlotte (ZIP 28213). The parish bulletin, schedules, and announcements are posted on the parish's website, stbasil.weebly.com. Anyone interested in Byzantine Catholic spirituality — Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and inquirers alike — is warmly welcomed to attend the Saturday Vespers or Sunday Divine Liturgy.
- Address: Aquinas Hall, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte, NC 28213
- Website: http://stbasil.weebly.com/
- Phone (parish/contact): (919) 785-2764
- Liturgy: Saturday 5:00 PM Vespers; Sunday 11:00 AM Divine Liturgy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Mark ShueyPrior to 2015
Priest of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat listed as the contact priest for the mission community in its earlier years; helped serve the community when it had no resident pastor.
- Father Joseph Matlak2015–present
Ordained October 1, 2015 at St. Josaphat Cathedral, Parma, Ohio by Bishop Bohdan Danylo; first resident pastor of the community; tri-ritual (Byzantine, Latin Ordinary Form, Latin Extraordinary Form); married to Katie Ann Matlak (married 2014); also chaplain of Holy Trinity Middle School and instructor at Belmont Abbey College.