Biography

Basil Cole entered the Order of Friars Preachers in 1960, as a member of the Western Province, Holy Name, and by 1966, was ordained to the priesthood. He finished his theological studies at Le Saulchoir in Etiolles, France, earning the License and Lectorate degrees in 1968. Some years later, he also received a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy.

After serving as professor of theology and philosophy at Pilarica College for the Notre Dame Sisters (1968-69), Father Cole was elected prior of Saint Dominic's in San Francisco, where he also served as parish priest, a member of the provincial council and lecturer at various institutions from 1970 until 1975. While serving as prior of Daniel Murphy High School community in Los Angeles in 1975, he also became a member of the Western Dominican preaching band, preaching throughout the West. He preached, full-time, parish missions and novenas, retreats to lay and religious until joining the faculty (part-time) of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas (the Angelicum), Rome Italy from 1985-97. Then in 1998, he became a full-time professor of moral and spiritual theology at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington D.C..

Father Cole has authored: Music and Morals, Alba House, Staten Island, New York, 1993; co-authored with Paul Conner, OP; Christian Totality: Theology of Consecrated Life, published by Saint Paul's editions in Bombay, India 1990, revised in 1997 Alba House, Staten Island, New York, and has written for The Priest, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Reason and Faith, and the Angelicum. He has also been a long time collaborator for Germain Grisez's four volume series of moral theology: The Way of the Lord Jesus.

Programs

Parish Missions, Retreats to Lay People and Religious, and Novenas;
Retreats and Conferences for Priests on the New Evangelization.

Availability

During the year, he is available for weekends, one or two weeks before Christmas, one week in Lent, and several weeks after May 20. For retreats, he can make arrangements for the summer until the beginning of the academic year, usually toward the end of August.

Fee

Ordinarily for parish missions and novenas, a collection is taken up on the last day which is for the education of young Dominican friars studying for the priesthood. For retreats, whatever stipend sisters and lay groups can afford is acceptable.