The Dictionary of Basilian Biography contains 632 biographical entries on the members of the Congregation of Saint Basil who died in the years between 1822, when the congregation was founded, and 2002. The dictionary presents the personal background, education, and various appointments as well as the character, talents, and bibliography of each member, while defining the contribution of each in the educational or pastoral work of the Basilian Fathers. This heritage belongs not only to the Basilian Fathers or the Catholic Church, but to the wider societies and cultures of the countries that were touched by the work of the Basilians.

This second edition of the Dictionary of Basilian Biography is approximately three times the size of the original edition by Father Robert J. Scollard, published in 1969. The increase in size is due not only to the additional number of members who died between that year and 2002, but also to additional archival research into the lives and careers of the early members of the Congregation in France. It represents eight years of work by editor P. Wallace Platt and his editorial board, enriching the book and balancing its presentation.