A facile and direct approach for the synthesis of mesoporous zeolite Y by using [(CH3O)(3)SiC3H6N(CH3)(2)-C18H37]Cl as template is presented. Under the basic condition of the Y synthesis system, (CH3O)(3)Si- bonds hydrolyze to -Si-OH, and yield -Si-O-Al- and -Si-O-Si- linkages that anchor the template in zeolite framework. Afterward, micelles formed by -C18H37 lead to the formation of mesoporosity within zeolite Y crystals. This material, which introduces intracrystalline mesoporosity into zeolite Y, shows superior catalytic performance when used in heavy oil catalytic cracking.