About St. Basil the Great · Vallejo, California
St. Basil the Great is a Roman Catholic parish in Vallejo, California, in the Diocese of Sacramento, established in 1941. Located on Tuolumne Street in the Solano County deanery, the parish serves a diverse community with three Sunday Masses in English (including a monthly Gospel Mass), weekday Masses in Mary Chapel, daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a robust faith formation program. The parish campus includes St. Basil Catholic School (Preschool–8), founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1949, and is well known for its active Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference and other lay ministries.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- St. Basil the Great (Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Jovito D. Rata
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Solano County, Solano Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Basil the Great offers a complete Catholic life in one campus: weekday and Sunday Masses (with a monthly Gospel Mass), daily Eucharistic Adoration in Mary Chapel, a parish school and Sunday Religious Education program (K–8) with sacramental preparation, and an unusually active Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference that delivers food, runs a monthly free-laundry day for the homeless, and supplies holiday meals and gifts to dozens of local families. Parishioners who want to put faith into action find ready-made ministries — altar service, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (including to the sick and homebound), Respect Life, hospitality, and more — listed on the parish website and welcomed at any time.
Mass times at St. Basil the Great
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Friday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM (in Mary Chapel; not available on Good Friday)
- 1st Saturday of the month: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM (not available on Holy Saturday)
- 2nd Friday of the month: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (with Taizé Prayer/Meditation)
Parish Identity and History
St. Basil the Great Catholic Church is a diocesan parish of the Diocese of Sacramento, established in 1941 in Vallejo, California, in the Solano County deanery. According to a 1976 Catholic Herald article by Fr. Thomas J. Hayes, OP, the parish was created as Vallejo grew during the World War II era; eight years later, in 1949, the parish school was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
- Established 1941
- Diocese of Sacramento
- Solano County deanery
- Patron: St. Basil the Great
- 1225 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 94590
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, and a deacon. The current pastor, Fr. Jovito D. Rata, has been in place since July 1, 2025, and can be reached at [email protected]. Fr. Edgar Lozano Cuevas serves as parochial vicar, and Deacon Casey Walker assists with parish life and can be reached at [email protected].
- Rev. Jovito D. Rata — Pastor (since July 1, 2025)
- Rev. Edgar Lozano Cuevas — Parochial Vicar
- Dcn. Casey Walker — Deacon
- Parish office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
St. Basil Catholic School
St. Basil Catholic School is a Preschool through 8th-grade Catholic elementary school located on the parish campus at 1230 Nebraska Street, Vallejo, CA 94590. It was founded in 1949 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA). The curriculum meets the standards of both the Diocese of Sacramento and the State of California and includes Religion, Spanish, Music, Art, Technology, and Physical Education alongside core courses, plus Extended Care.
- Founded 1949 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
- Preschool–8, co-educational
- Accredited by WASC and WCEA
- Principal: Gretchen Del Rosario
- School phone: (707) 642-7629
- Web: stbasilschool.org
Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation
The parish runs a Sunday Religious Education Program (K–8) that meets 9:00–11:00 AM in St. Basil School and concludes with the 11:30 AM liturgy (parents attend Mass with their children). Sacramental preparation is a 2-year process for each of the three Sacraments of Initiation: First Reconciliation and First Eucharist begin in Level 1 and are celebrated in Level 2; Confirmation begins in Level 7 and is celebrated at the end of Level 8. The OCIC (Order of Christian Initiation for Children) is offered for youth who have not been baptized or who need the sacraments outside the regular grade levels. Raquel Avitia serves as Coordinator of Religious Education and Youth Ministry.
- Religious Ed Classes: Sundays 9:00–11:00 AM, St. Basil School
- Coordinator: Raquel Avitia
- Office: 1230 Nebraska Street; phone 707-644-8309
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist: 2-year process, Levels 1–2
- Confirmation: 2-year process, Levels 7–8
- OCIC for children needing Baptism/Eucharist/Confirmation
Society of St. Vincent de Paul — St. Basil Conference
The parish's SVdP conference is one of its most visible ministries. Its mission is to serve anyone in need through direct person-to-person food delivery, helping clients toward self-sufficiency, and treating all clients with dignity and respect. The conference provides emergency food assistance for residents of Vallejo and American Canyon (once per family per three months), delivers holiday meal baskets at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, runs the parish 'Giving Tree' at Christmas, hosts an annual Walk for the Poor fundraiser, and partners with the Sparrow Project every other month to serve a hot meal at First Baptist Church.
- President: Charmaine Ferraz — 707-644-0376
- Vice President: Anna Johnson
- Treasurer: Herman Bustamante
- Secretary: Sylvia Alexander
- Monthly free laundry for the homeless: 4th Saturday, 8:30–10:30 AM, Launderland Wash & Dry (627 Tennessee St., Vallejo)
- Meetings: 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Fr. Garrigan Room
Other Parish Ministries and Outreach
Beyond Religious Education and SVdP, the parish supports a range of lay ministries. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve the assembly under the direction of Flor Portacio; a separate team of EMHCs brings Communion to the sick and homebound, led by Vilma Jeffries Macalalad. A Respect Life Ministry and a Parish Pastoral Council (meeting quarterly) round out the parish's structured ministries, and the parish office coordinates pastoral care for the sick and homebound.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — Flor Portacio, 707-315-0353
- EMHC to the Sick and Homebound — Vilma Jeffries Macalalad, 707-644-5251
- Respect Life Ministry
- Pastoral Council — quarterly meetings
- Pastoral Care of the Sick/Homebound — call 707-644-5251
- Time & Talent volunteer sign-ups via the parish website
Giving and Stewardship
St. Basil the Great accepts weekly envelope offerings (mailed or dropped through the mail slot on the Parish Center door), as well as online e-Giving through Parish (formerly Faith Direct). The parish also encourages stewardship of time and talent — most ministries, including Religious Education catechists and SVdP, are volunteer-led.
- Weekly envelopes mailed to 1225 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 94590
- Mail slot on Parish Center door
- Online e-Giving via Parish (formerly Faith Direct)
Visiting and Contact
Parishioners and visitors are welcome to attend Mass or stop by the Parish Center during office hours (Mon–Fri 9 AM–12 PM and 1–4 PM). For after-hours voicemail the parish can be reached at (707) 644-5251. The parish school is at 1230 Nebraska Street; the parish center (with the main church) is at 1225 Tuolumne Street.
- Parish address: 1225 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 94590
- School address: 1230 Nebraska Street, Vallejo, CA 94590
- Parish phone: (707) 644-5251
- School phone: (707) 642-7629
- Driving: I-80 to Tennessee St. west, right on Tuolumne St.