Saint Basil, Carrick

Parish History

St. Basil was established in February of 1907.  Before the parish was founded, local Catholics had to travel to St. Wendelin to attend Mass.  Due to the difficulties of traveling to that church, a group of local Catholics petitioned the bishop for a new parish in 1906.  The petition was granted and the first Mass of the new parish was celebrated on February 17, 1907.  Land was quickly purchased and work on a combined church and school building began.  The cornerstone of the building was laid on July 14, 1907, and the completed building was dedicated on December 8, 1907.  The second floor of the building served as the church and the first floor and basement served as the school.

The congregation soon outgrew its existing church.  In 1922, work began on a new church.  The cornerstone was laid in July of 1922, and the completed church was dedicated on October 7, 1923.  The old church was then converted to classrooms.  This building was eventually torn down in 1957 to make room for a new school.  

As the diocese entered the twenty-first century, it faced a troubling trend.  Mass attendance and sacramental participation, as well as the number of priests available for parish ministry, began a steady decline.  As a result of this trend, in May of 2014, one pastor was appointed for the parishes of St. Basil; St. Albert the Great, Baldwin; St. Wendelin, Carrick; and St. Norbert, Overbrook.  This led two years later to the merger of the four parishes on September 1, 2016 to create the new Holy Apostles Parish.  St. Basil Church remained open after the merger to become part of the new parish.