LEWISTON – The Rev. Robert A. (Basil) Parent will celebrate the Byzantine Eucharistic Liturgy at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. Stephen McGrath, a deacon candidate for the Melkite Church, will lead the chanting of the Divine Liturgy.

Parent is a Byzantine Greek-Catholic priest of the Diocese of Newton, Mass., for the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church. He was born and raised in Lewiston and was ordained in 1986 for the Melkite Greek-Catholic Diocese of the United States.

He served Melkite parishes in Central Falls, R.I.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Scranton, Pa.; and Danbury, Conn. He is bi-ritual in the Roman Rite and is working for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland as administrator of the parishes of Our Lady of Rosary in Sabattus and St. Francis Mission in Greene.

The Melkite Greek-Catholic Church is one of the numerous eastern churches in communion with Rome. It follows the Byzantine Rite, the second largest rite in the church after the Roman Rite.

It stems from the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch, where St. Peter was first bishop before going to Rome and where the followers of Christ were first called “Christians.” The church is governed by Gregory, Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and all the East.

The Melkites came to the U.S. over a century ago from the Middle East. Their churches are scattered throughout the United States and form one diocese governed by Bishop Cyril Boutros.

All are invited to attend the liturgy. Anyone interested in the Byzantine Catholic Churches or anyone who is a member of any of the Eastern churches and is interested in future services is invited to see Parent after the liturgy or contact him at Our Lady of the Rosary at 375-6581.