About Bishop BASIL

His Grace Bishop BASIL was consecrated to the Holy Episcopacy on May 31, 1992, by Metropolitan PHILIP (Saliba) of North America, Metropolitan Elias (Audi) of Beirut, Archbishop Michael (Shaheen) of Toleda, and Bishop Antoun (Khouri) of Selefkia at St George Cathedral in Wichita, Kansas, which he served as priest from July 1987. He served as an auxiliary bishop from 1992 to 2004, residing first at the Los Angeles Chancery and then moving to the Wichita Chancery. On December 14, 2004 he was enthroned as the Bishop of Wichita and Mid-America.

Bishop BASIL served as pastoral assistant at St. George Church in Detroit, Michigan from 1973 to 1975. From 1975 to 1986 he served as director of the Department of Youth Affairs with offices at the main chancery in Englewood, New Jersey. From 1980 to 1986 he also served as assistant pastor at St. Anthony Church in Bergenfield, New Jersey and as instructor of Contemporary Byzantine Chant at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary. In 1986 and 1987 he studied, taught, and researched at the St. John of Damascus Patriarchal Institute of Theology at the Balamand Monastery of the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos in Lebanon. His book, The Liturgikon: the Book of Divine Services for the Priest and Deacon, was published in 1989 by Antakya Press.

Bishop BASIL was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania on November 26, 1948 and baptized on April 17, 1949 at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Monessen. After attending public schools in Monessen, he received a B.A. in psychology in 1970 from California State University of Pennsylvania in California, Pennsylvania. In 1973, he graduated from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary in Crestwood, New York with a Master of Divinity.

In 1964, Bishop BASIL was tonsured a reader by Metropolitan ANTONY. He was ordained to the subdiaconate and diaconate by Metropolitan PHILIP on September 30, 1979. On January 27, 1980 he was ordained a priest by Metropolitan PHILIP and he was elevated Archimandrite on October 9, 1988, also by Metropolitan PHILIP.

Bishop BASIL’s namesday is January 1 (St. Basil the Great).

Photos of Bishop BASIL's enthronement.

The Wichita Chancery

Office Hours

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Chapel Schedule

Orthros at 6:45 a.m., Mon.-Sat.

Vespers at 4:00 p.m., Sun.-Fri.

Right Reverend BASIL

Bishop of Wichita and Mid-America 
 

From its consecration on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women, April 21, 1991, by His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP, Wichita’s St George Cathedral served as the cathedral church of what was then known as the Southwest Region, one of seven geographic regions of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.  With the granting of self-rule to the Archdiocese of North America by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch on October 9, 2003, those seven regions were reconfigured and established as nine dioceses.  Since the formal establishment of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America and the enthroning of its first bishop on December 15, 2004, St George serves as the Diocesan Cathedral for the Diocese of Mid-America and the seat of the Bishop of Wichita. Because the title cathedral indicates that a church temple so designated is the seat of a bishop (the Greek word kathedra, from which cathedral is derived, means chair or throne), at the time of its consecration the St George community proposed to the Metropolitan that a bishop be assigned to live in Wichita where St George would serve as his cathedral church and where a residence and administrative offices (a chancery) would be provided from which he would oversee the congregations of what was then known as the Southwest Region. His Eminence blessed this proposal and a committee was appointed to locate a suitable property near the Cathedral. On May 14, 1995, a large home on a wooded two-acre lot in the Spring Acres section of northeast Wichita, less than one mile from St George Cathedral, was purchased by the Cathedral community and gifted to the Archdiocese for use as a Chancery. During Metropolitan PHILIP’s visit to Wichita the following month he blessed the Chancery, and the building’s extensive remodeling and construction began immediately. This work and the complete furnishing and decorating of the Chancery were all made possible by additional financial gifts from the Cathedral, contributions from the other parishes and missions of the region, and generous grants from the Archdiocese and the Order of St Ignatius of Antioch.

The Chancery, a stately two-story red-brick and wood structure, consists of approximately 6,500 sq. ft. of living space on three levels. Its circular drive is lined with parking spaces to accommodate twenty vehicles. Brick paths connect this area to the front courtyard and main entrance, to the rear of the house and two brick patios, and to a garden area in which is located the Chapel of Ss Raphael (the patrons being both St Raphael of Brooklyn and the Archangel Raphael).  Over one hundred trees and shrubs are on the property, as well as numerous flower beds, gardens and grape vines, all of which serve not only to beautify the grounds but also to screen the Chancery from Woodlawn Boulevard on the east and from neighboring residential properties on the west, north and south.

At the Archdiocese’s General Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, in July of 1995, Metropolitan PHILIP announced the assignment of His Grace Bishop BASIL (Essey) to the Wichita Chancery. His Grace took up residency in Wichita on September 6, 1995, and immediately began what would become an annual round of archpastoral visit to the congregations which he oversees from the Wichita Chancery.

Originally established as the Southwest Region in the 1950’s to facilitate communication and cooperation between the eight Antiochian congregations which at that time existed in the four states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Mississippi, the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America now consists of nearly fifty congregations serving 15,000 members in the states of Kansas, Nebraska, western Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, western Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

Camp St. Raphael

Our own Diocesan summer camp - Camp St. Raphael - is located on the grounds of Camp Takatoka near Wagoner, Oklahoma (about an hour drive southeast of Tulsa). At present it operates for two weeks each summer (late June and early July).  A completely volunteer CSR committee works throughout the year in preparing quality programs for our children and teens. Four priests from the Diocese are assigned to the Camp each year (two for each one week session).

Camp St Raphael Camp Applications (for campers and counselors) and camping session dates are advertised by standard and electronic mail to each community, and are also available upon request from the Wichita Chancery.

Organizations

There are four main "volunteer" organizations within the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. These include the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, the Antiochian Women, Teen SOYO, and the Order of St. Ignatius. Ask your priest about how to participate in the activities of each of these worthy organizations!

The Fellowship of St. John the Divine

The Fellowship of St. John the Divine is made up of volunteers from parishes and missions within the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. Officers are elected at the Parish Life Conference. Coordinators are selected to conduct the various programs sponsored by the Fellowship.

The Antiochian Women

The Antiochian Women of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America is a service organization open to women from Antiochian missions and parishes.

Teen SOYO

Most missions and parishes have a group of teens that belong (or should belong) to "Teen SOYO." Ask your priest about your local chapter.

The Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch

Visit the Order's website (www.antiochian.org/order) to learn more about how the Order of St. Ignatius financially supports the Archdiocese and its programs.