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Bishop Celebrates Mass of Healing and Peace in Wake of Teen Parishioner's Slaying
BY JEAN YAEGER
TULSA — Mourners filled St. Thomas More Catholic Church with hymns, hugs and tears during a special Mass for Healing and Peace last week, bringing Catholics together in faith and consolation.
St. Thomas More parishioner Alexander Puentes, 15, was fatally shot in the parking lot of the east Tulsa church on July 27 after a parish festival concluded. A 15-year-old suspect, not affiliated with St. Thomas More, has been arrested.
An overflow crowd — including many teens — gathered at the church last Tuesday as Bishop David Konderla celebrated Mass in Spanish. A large portrait of Alexander was displayed. Bishop Konderla pointed out a strong presence of the Holy Spirit at St. Thomas More, a foundation of community, and a desire to help one another.
“That’s going to be what you will use to get from this time of great sadness and tragedy to a time of grace and healing,” he said.
Father Jose Maria Briones, pastor, spoke in his homily of the Gospel story of the Risen Jesus appearing to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The heartbroken disciples didn’t recognize Christ in their midst at first.
“They are so discouraged that they don't even realize Jesus is walking beside them,” Father Briones said. “This could be the story of the community we are living in right now. In the face of pain, we can think, ‘Where is God? Why do these things happen?’”
But in our difficulties, we should rely on the love of our Father, who is close and seeks to embrace us, and on Jesus, who triumphed over sin and death.
“We see that today the Lord is with us, and that God is a Father who suffers what our community suffers. And that community will have to continue moving forward, knowing that Christ has conquered death,” Father Briones said.
The petitions included prayers for those who suffer and prayers of gratitude for God’s goodness. Alexander’s obituary described his deep faith and generosity in serving his church. Representatives of his family thanked everyone for their prayers, words of encouragement, and companionship providing a source of comfort and strength.
After Mass, Bishop Konderla sprinkled holy water on the roped off section of the parking lot where the shooting occurred.
“We were visited by an act of violence," Bishop Konderla said. “So this evening, we want to bless that place where the violence happened to reclaim it for the community, for the love and fellowship that exists here.”
Parishioners capped the somber moment with shouts of “¡Viva Cristo Rey!”
A funeral Mass for Alexander Puentes was held Friday. To read his obituary, click here.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
Bishop David Konderla and Father Jose Maria Briones concelebrated a Mass of Healing and Peace Tuesday night at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in east Tulsa. The Mass was attended by Mayor Monroe Nichols and Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler.
Pastor to Alexander Puentes' Family: 'God Knows What You Are Going Through'
TULSA — The murder of a teenager at a parish festival on July 27, has left the east Tulsa Catholic community — including St. Thomas More Catholic Church where the fatal shooting took place, and Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School where the victim attended — in shock and mourning.
St. Thomas More Pastor Rev. Jose Maria Briones told the family of deceased 15-year-old Alexander Puentes and all those gathered for Holy Rosary last Monday night that the community, the Church, and civic leaders support and offer solidarity with them.
"For the family that is going through such a difficult time and that hurts us all, I think that today the Lord has come out to see you through this community that embraces you, that accompanies you, that is with you, that is your Church," said Fr. Briones. "And through this event, we also have to see the presence of that God that is very close to you. So today, they hug you and they are here for you."
"For the family that is going through such a difficult time and that hurts us all, I think that today the Lord has come out to see you through this community that embraces you, that accompanies you, that is with you, that is your Church," said Fr. Briones. "And through this event, we also have to see the presence of that God that is very close to you. So today, they hug you and they are here for you."
Father Briones also offered consoling words of comfort directly to the mother of Alexander Puentes.
"God knows what you are going through," said Fr. Briones. "Our Mother Mary knows also what you are going through. She held Jesus in her hands when He died on the cross. But the hope of the Resurrection was her hope. And that is also to be your hope as well — that your son, he is now with our Lord in heaven, serving him as he did here at this altar."
Puentes was a faithful altar server at the parish.
"We ask all the community to keep this family in your prayers, that God can give them the strength to go through these difficult times," said Fr. Briones. "And our Bishop (David Konderla) wants everyone to know that he has us in our prayers, that he wants to be close to our community, and that the Diocese of Tulsa is also close to us."
In an open letter posted on social media last Monday, Father Gabriel García, pastor of Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church and School where Alexander Puentes attended, shared a message of comfort with the school community.
"Alex was a beloved and faithful member of Saint Thomas More Parish his entire life," said Fr. García. "He served with joy and dedication as an altar server and was always ready to help whenever needed. From August 2023 to May 2024, Alex was also part of our Saints Peter & Paul School family, and he will always be remembered as one of our dear alumni."
Father García said that in the aftermath of such tragedy, the faithful must trust in the mercy of God.
"Alex was a beloved and faithful member of Saint Thomas More Parish his entire life," said Fr. García. "He served with joy and dedication as an altar server and was always ready to help whenever needed. From August 2023 to May 2024, Alex was also part of our Saints Peter & Paul School family, and he will always be remembered as one of our dear alumni."
Father García said that in the aftermath of such tragedy, the faithful must trust in the mercy of God.
"Though we walk through the valley of sorrow, we do not walk alone. Christ, in His infinite love, walks with us," said Fr. García. "I invite you to pray fervently for the repose of Alex’s soul and for the comfort and strength of his grieving family. Let us come together as a community of faith to support them through our prayers and presence."
ABOVE: St. Thomas More Catholic Church Pastor Fr. Jose Maria Briones.
LEFT: Alexander Puentes is pictured on the occasion of his eighth-grade graduation from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Tulsa. To his right is former parish pastor Fr. Sean Donovan. To his left is current parish pastor Fr. Gabriel Garcia.
Mayor Offers Words of Comfort to Family, Parishioners, East Tulsa Community
TULSA — Mayor Monroe Nichols attended Tuesday night’s Mass for Healing and Peace at St. Thomas More in east Tulsa and lent his support and concern to the family and community in an address to the overflow crowd of mourners.
“There's a certain spirit moving through this room,” Mayor Nichols said. “I recognize it comes at a time of great difficulty, sadness.”
The mayor, whose grandfather was a protestant pastor, opened his remarks by quoting scripture from 2 Corinthians 4:17 which speaks of enduring momentary affliction in anticipation of eternal glory.
“As I read these words, I think about what it means for those of us who are here to read and to reflect. It tells us not to lose heart,” said Mayor Nichols. “And so if we think about it in the religious sense, it is our faith. But when we think about it in the community sense, when things shake us that are tough to understand, it means that maybe we've all been there for each other. It means that we show up at this church on this night to come together to talk about what our faith calls for and what we do to move forward.”
Nichols said that as mayor, that being with a community that is grieving is one of the more difficult things that he must do. But at the same time, he said it is also one of the most renewing things because we must all care for one another.
“And so, what I can promise you as a city is that we will not only continue to work to do our best to prevent bad things from happening from a non-personal perspective, but more importantly, work with the community to prevent things from happening from a community perspective,” said Mayor Nichols. “I don't know what causes a young person to decide to use a gun. I don't understand that as much as I wish I did. But I recognize it is an ill in this world. I don't think we can look to anywhere else to have a deal with that ill than to those of us in this community.”
Mayor Nichols asked that in this moment of grief, that the community deepen its commitment to each other.
“Once again, I pray for you. We are with you,” said Mayor Nichols. “We wrap our hands around you. We pray for you. We love you. We're here with you tomorrow to make sure that the legacy, the promise, and the spirit of your young life remains a part of this community every day.”
EOC Photo by Daniel McCay
Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols addresses the family of Alexander Puentes and parishioners of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in east Tulsa following Tuesday night's Mass of Healing and Peace.
Patience, Joy and Zeal: Prayers Offered for Educators at August Jubilee Mass
BY JEAN YAEGER
TULSA — August’s stop on the Jubilee of Hope Pilgrimage had a back-to-school theme Saturday at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in west Tulsa.
Pilgrims at the jubilee Mass prayed that catechists, teachers and school support staff may be filled with joy and renewed with zeal for educating their students. Father Gary Kastl, vicar general for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, pointed to the need to patiently sow the seeds of knowledge and virtue.
“We have hope that the Holy Spirit will bring to fruition the seeds we have sown,” Father Kastl said in his homily. “Let us pray for patience. Let us be intentional about accompanying our young people in the hope and expectation that they too will be faithful followers of Jesus.”
Many parishioners at St. Catherine of Alexandria are immigrants who fled Myanmar — formerly called Burma — to escape war or persecution. Extra seating was needed to accommodate all the Mass attendees, lots of them children. Elements of the Mass reflected the Burmese culture, including traditional dress, the Zomi language, and a drum-and-dance troupe. The congregation sang hymns simultaneously in Zomi and English, the languages blending in praise.
“When you look around this church, you can truly see the beautiful gift of the diversity we have in our diocese,” Father Kastl said.
Adjacent to the church is St. Catherine’s School, which serves 165 students pre-K through eighth grade. Michelle Anthamatten, school principal, greeted people as they arrived for Mass.
“You see the kids growing in their faith and sharing it with the teachers, and the teachers sharing their faith with the students,’ she said. “These children are our hope for the future.”
Our diocese’s yearlong Jubilee of Hope Pilgrimage continues Sept. 6, at St. Augustine Church in north Tulsa. The theme will be evangelization through sports, with prayers for athletes and coaches.
Photos courtesy St. Catherine of Alexandria Church
Registration Deadline Nears for 2025 Faith Formation Conference, 'Come Holy Spirit'
BROKEN ARROW — Time is soon running out to register for the the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma's 2025 Faith Formation Conference to be held August 22-23 at
The Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center.
Those planning to attend have until August 15 to register for this year's conference, "Come Holy Spirit." To register online, click here.
Confirmed keynote speakers include: Rev. Rafael Capo, National Eucharistic Revival Preacher, Vice President of St. Thomas University, and Pontifical Missionary of Mercy; Dr. Timothy O'Malley (McGrath Institute for Church Life, University of Notre Dame; Dr. Joseph White & Jose Hernandez-Aguirre, Our Sunday Visitor; Jose Gonzalez of Sophia Press; and Rev. Duy Nguyễn, director of the Diocese of Tulsa Office of Vocations.
For more information or to view the complete conference schedule and breakout sessions, click here.
Deacon Appreciation Weekend August 9-10
The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma will celebrate Deacon Appreciation Weekend, Aug. 9-10. Parishes and the faithful are encouraged to show appreciation to their deacons who voluntarily serve the People of God and say, "thank you!"
Deacons are public ministers of the Catholic Church, ordained for the three-fold ministries of the Word, Liturgy, and Charity. At present, there are more than 80 active deacons serving in parishes and special ministries throughout the Diocese of Tulsa.
Fundamentally, a deacon is a man of service who is called from the Church community to a lifelong and public commitment to service through the sacrament of Holy Orders. Deacons are men who are best characterized as “having a servant’s heart.” Their lived faith is one of caring for others, helping where needed, and giving of themselves in the works of their parish community and/or the diocesan Church.
Deacons serve in a variety of ministries: as parish ministers, prison chaplains, hospital chaplains, diocesan administration and services. New deacons might be assigned to their home parishes but should realize that deacons could also from time to time be asked to take on a new assignment in the diocese. Deacons minister under the authority of the Bishop and are assigned to assist in his overall ministry.
Prior to admission to formation, those desiring to apply for the diaconate will complete a detailed application and participate in a series of interviews, psychological evaluations, and other pertinent discernment programs to ensure the men are properly discerning a call to the clergy.
To learn more about Diaconate formation, click here, or contact Deacon Craig Victor, Director of the Diaconate, at dcn.craig.victordioceseoftulsa.org.
From the Editor...
Dear readers, with the heartbreaking events that unfolded at St. Thomas More parish a little over a week ago — and covered extensively in this newsletter — it has been a somber and sobering reminder of the fleeting nature of our time here on earth. There is nothing I can add to the words of comfort and solidarity already spoken by Bishop David Konderla, STM Pastor Fr. Jose Maria Briones, and Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols to the grieving family and friends, parishioners, and the community. We will continue to keep all in our prayers during this healing process.
Until next week, thanks for reading.
Chris Rush
EOC Editor
"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" — Philippians 4:8
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