St. Jude's New Associate Pastor: Father Robert Basler OSA
/Fr. Robert Basler, O.S.A., celebrated his first Mass of Thanksgiving with Fr. Jim Friedel, O.S.A. He celebrated this Mass at his home parish of Saint Irenaeus in Park Forest, Illinois, the day following his 2013 priestly ordination
In his 2016 State of the Province Address, the Very Rev. Bernard C. Scianna, O.S.A., Ph.D., appointed Fr. Robert Basler, O.S.A., to serve as the new Associate Pastor of Saint Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox, Illinois. Father Basler will begin serving there this summer. If you want to get to know a little about him before he arrives, read below and share with others!
Robert Basler was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago. He earned his high school diploma from Rich East High School, Park Forest, in 1988. After earning an associate's degree from Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Governors State University, University Park, Illinois, in 1995.
After working for several years as a fire alarm technician and in the hotel industry, Robert entered the Augustinian Pre-Novitiate formation program at St. Rita Parish, Chicago, in early 2005. He was received into the Augustinian Novitiate, Racine, Wisconsin, on August 15, 2005. He professed his first vows in the Order of St. Augustine in 2006 and his solemn vows six years later.
After professing temporary vows, Brother Basler began theological studies at Washington Theological Union, Washington, D.C., residing at Augustinian College, also in Washington. In 2007, when the Augustinian formation program moved from Washington to Chicago, he transferred to Catholic Theological Union, residing at St. Augustine Friary, Chicago.
He completed a pastoral year at San José Obrero Parish, Chulucanas, Peru, from the summer of 2011 through the summer of 2012.
Fr. Robert Basler, O.S.A., spent one pastoral year in Chulucanas, Peru, giving many prayer services like this one seen here
After his pastoral year, he returned to St. Augustine Friary, Chicago, where he completed his theological studies at Catholic Theological Union, earning a Master of Divinity degree in 2013.
He was ordained a transitional deacon January 13, 2013. On June 8, 2013, Bishop Daniel T. Turley, O.S.A., ordained Robert Basler to the priesthood at Saint Rita of Cascia Parish in Chicago. He was ordained alongside Fr. Homero Sánchez, O.S.A., who served as an Associate Pastor at St. Jude from 2013 to 2016.
Bishop Dan Turley, O.S.A., ordained Robert Basler to the priesthood in 2013
In July, 2013, Fr. Bernie Scianna, O.S.A., appointed Father Basler to be the Associate Pastor of St. Turibius Parish, Chicago, where he has served faithfully and passionately for the past three years. He will begin his assignment as the the Associate Pastor of St. Jude - New Lenox in the summer of 2016.
Please welcome Fr. Basler to his new St. Jude Community in New Lenox, Illinois!
Updated July 18, 2016
