Congregation of St. Basil (CSB)

• Basilian Fathers

• Basilian Priests

The Congregation of St. Basil, also known as the Basilian Fathers, is a vibrant community of priests, students for the priesthood, and lay associates. We are an apostolic community whose members profess simple vows.

Amid the turmoil and persecution of the Catholic Church during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, a clandestine school was established by Joseph Lapierre in Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun in the department of Ardèche, in the south-central part of France. Following several years of operation, the congregation was founded in 1822 by a group of ten priests in order to ensure the continuation of the schools operating in and around Annonay, a town of about 5,000 at the time. The schools became known for their range of teaching including humanities, rhetoric, philosophy, mathematics, physics and chemistry. The members of the new group devoted themselves to Christian education, preaching, and life in community. On November 21, 1822, during the feast of the Presentation of Our Lady, the ten founders chose Joseph Lapierre as the first Superior General and St. Basil as the patron for the order.

The Basilian Fathers arrived in Edmonton at the request of Archbishop O'Leary and took over responsiblity for education at St. Joseph's College at the University of Alberta. For more information please visit http://www.basilian.org/ and http://www.stjosephs.ualberta.ca/.