Nestled in the heart of western Oklahoma, Weatherford, a university town known for its vibrant community and agricultural roots, might seem an unlikely outpost for Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Yet, since its founding in 2013, St. Basil the Great Orthodox Mission has grown into a beacon of faith, drawing converts, inquirers, and lifelong Orthodox Christians to its modest chapel at 323 N State Street. As a parish of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) within the Diocese of the South, the mission embodies the resilient spirit of Orthodox evangelism in America’s heartland, blending ancient liturgy with modern outreach. This article traces its journey from humble beginnings to a thriving community hub.
Roots in Personal Pilgrimage: The Founders’ Path to Orthodoxy
The story of St. Basil begins not in Weatherford, but in the diverse spiritual landscapes of Southern California, Portland, Oregon, and the rolling plains of Oklahoma. Father Nicholas Aiello, born in 1957 to Italian-American Roman Catholic parents, experienced a profound conversion at age 23 after immersing himself in the Gospel of Matthew. Rejecting Catholicism, he embraced Evangelicalism and earned a BA in Biblical Literature (with a minor in Koine Greek) from Multnomah Bible College in Portland.
There, he met Matushka Elizabeth (Beverly) McCall, born in 1958 in South Dakota to native Oklahoman parents and raised in Tulsa and Southern California. Beverly, from a nominally Lutheran background, found her faith reignited through Nicholas’s enthusiasm. Together, they served the Yiu-Mienh Laotian refugee community in Portland’s housing projects from 1985 to 1994, offering spiritual guidance, education, and practical aid during a time of resettlement challenges.
This ministry marked a turning point. In 1994, the couple became catechumens in the Orthodox Church, drawn by its ancient traditions and depth. They were received into the OCA in 1995. Spiritual formation was undertaken under mentors such as Archimandrite Paisios of St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Arizona (Fr. Nicholas’s confessor since 1996) and Fr. Nicholas Letten in Portland. By 2000, they assisted an inner-city Orthodox mission, where Fr. Nicholas honed skills in liturgy, counseling, and diaconate studies.
A pivotal moment came in 2007 during a visit to Matushka Beverly’s family farm in Custer County, Oklahoma—about 18 miles from Weatherford. Fr. Nicholas, struck by Weatherford’s position as a regional hub (home to Southwestern Oklahoma State University), its economic vitality, and demographic mix, envisioned it as fertile ground for an Orthodox mission. With blessings from their parish priest and spiritual father, they committed to the seminary and relocation.
Planting Seeds: Arrival and Ordination (2009–2012)
The global financial crisis of 2008 tested their resolve. After nine months on the market, their Portland home sold to the first buyer, bolstered by an unexpected inheritance from Fr. Nicholas’s parents. In 2009, Fr. Nicholas enrolled at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, while Matushka Beverly, after six rejections elsewhere, gained acceptance to Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s nursing program in Weatherford.
The family relocated to the Custer City farm, commuting to St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Church in Oklahoma City under Fr. Constantine Nasr’s guidance—the nearest Orthodox presence, as the OCA had none in western Oklahoma. Fr. Nasr became a de facto dean, encouraging their efforts. Fr. Nicholas balanced seminary (with summer returns) and Matushka Beverly’s studies, laying the groundwork for the mission.
Momentum built in summer 2011. With support from Fr. Joel Wilson and blessings from Fr. Nasr and OCA’s Fr. Justin Frederick, they rented office space in Weatherford. Icons adorned the walls, a reader’s stand was built, and the website (saintbasil.org) was launched. Business cards circulated, ads ran in the local paper, and daily Matins and Vespers began. Two local Orthodox Christians joined immediately, with the space open for prayer year-round.
Mentorship from Fr. Michael Storozuk of Sherman, Texas, proved invaluable; he traveled four hours to baptize the first convert and serve early Liturgies. Fr. Nicholas’s ordinations followed swiftly: deacon on March 25, 2012, at the OCA’s St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and priest on April 20, 2012, at Dallas’s St. Seraphim Cathedral by Metropolitan Jonah, who personally blessed the mission. The first Divine Liturgy was held on April 27, 2012, at their Custer City home, and soon thereafter at the rented chapel. Matushka Beverly served as reader until Photeini Ball, a retiree from nearby Watonga, joined in 2012.
Building a Foundation: Growth and Permanence (2013–2019)
Officially founded in 2013, the mission was formalized under the OCA’s Diocese of the South. Early members included Photeini Ball (who read ~300 services, later becoming a novice at St. Paisius Monastery in Arizona), Professor Joe London (a SWOSU convert inspired by Fr. Nasr’s 2013 lectures on Orthodox history), Sally Simon, Mustafa Sami, Carl and Sharon Anderson, Reader Leo and Anne Schommer, and Catherine Wiley. Helpers like Jim Kirkpatrick aided catechesis.
Fr. Nicholas served unpaid full-time, while Matushka Beverly worked as a registered nurse (earning her nurse practitioner degree in 2017). Services averaged twice-weekly Vigils and Divine Liturgies, plus three-to-four daily offices—totaling ~13 hours weekly. Fr. Nicholas engaged the Weatherford Ministerial Alliance, ministered at local facilities and prisons, and fostered an ethos of repentance over numerical growth: “Our ‘success’ does not depend on more people—it depends on more repentance.”
A milestone came in 2014: Through member Jeff Massad, Quail Creek Bank, and diocesan treasurer Milos Kontsevic, they acquired a historic “rock house” on a half-acre lot near Main Street and the university. Volunteers—led by Prof. London (iconographer), Mustafa Sami, and Bob Giger—remodeled it extensively, painting, tiling, and updating interiors. The mission relocated in October 2015, transforming it into a dedicated worship space.
By late 2019, the diocese had cleared the mortgage, accelerating debt freedom (achieved in under six years). Plans emerged for a larger temple, repurposing the current building as a fellowship hall, office, and restrooms—while seeding new missions across western Oklahoma.
Resilience Amid Challenges: The 2020s and Beyond
The COVID-19 pandemic tested the young mission. In 2020, restrictions paused in-person gatherings, but livestreamed services drew participants from beyond Oklahoma, including daily Matins and Vespers. This digital outreach reversed a dip in catechumenate inquiries, sparking renewed interest. Joyful milestones included the Chrismation of Calliopius (Cal) Castle on August 12, 2020, coinciding with the blessing and mounting of an outdoor entrance icon (royal doors to follow). Pascha that year featured the Chrismation of beloved brother Cyril (Mustafa) Sami, a testament to deepening community bonds.
By 2021, membership surged post-restrictions, with several catechumens and inquirers in formation via service recordings and chant lessons (using tools like ponomor.net). The mission upheld its rigorous schedule—weekday offices four times weekly—and amplified community ties. Fr. Nicholas led the Ministerial Alliance’s “Caring & Sharing” Christmas drive, distributing toys, food, and clothes to over 600 families, boosting visibility and goodwill.
Into the mid-2020s, the mission continues to evolve. Recent updates highlight ongoing catechesis, such as the August 2025 reception of the Coggins family (including four children) into the catechumenate, alongside baptisms like that of J’Lene and Iakovos’s son, signs of generational growth. As of November 2025, services remain vibrant: Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM and Sunday Divine Liturgy at 9:30 AM (preceded by 9:10 AM Hours), with feasts and specials announced.
A Vision of Healing and Discipleship
St. Basil the Great Orthodox Mission stands as a living testament to faithful perseverance. From a rented office to a debt-free chapel, it has nurtured souls through the “therapy of the services and sacraments,” personal counseling, and marital guidance—aiming to form mature disciples of Christ. In a region once devoid of Orthodoxy, it now serves west-central Oklahoma, embodying St. Basil the Great’s (329–379 AD) legacy of philanthropy, theology, and monastic zeal.
As Fr. Nicholas and Matushka Beverly reflect, security lies not in strategy but in peace. With eyes on expansion, St. Basil invites all to its “beautiful place of worship,” where ancient faith meets contemporary hearts. For more, visit saintbasil.org or join a service in Weatherford.
