e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
St. Carlo Acutis Classical Academy: an Oklahoma Virtual School to Launch
BY JOHN HELSLEY/THE SOONER CATHOLIC
OKLAHOMA CITY — The worldwide Church canonized a new saint.
The Church in Oklahoma now closely clings to him, too, with the announcement of St. Carlo Acutis Classical Academy: an Oklahoma Virtual School, scheduled to open next August.
This innovative virtual school will be available to all, initially with students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grades for the 2026-2027 school year, before a freshman class is added the following year.
The first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis was born in London and raised in Milan. He is known for his devotion to the Eucharist, which he shared with young followers across digital media. An Italian student, he created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions. Acutis, diagnosed with leukemia, died in 2006 at age 15.
Acutis was initially set to be canonized in April, but the ceremony was suspended following the death of Pope Francis, before Pope Leo canonized him with the first such ceremony of his pontificate on September 7.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of St. Carlo Acutis Classical Academy,” said Misty Smith, Head of School. “Our mission is to bring the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition into homes through an online format embracing classical curriculum resources that combine both synchronous and asynchronous learning.”
Engaging and authentic academic instruction, led by dedicated educators who are committed to nurturing academic and spiritual growth, will be a focus of the school which serves both the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, with the blessing of Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop David Konderla, respectively.
Expanding an opportunity to access Catholic education into all reaches of the state – with a clear appetite for it – spurred the move to open a virtual school.
“We recognized a need in our rural communities for Catholic education where brick and mortar schools are unavailable,” Smith said.
In addition to live virtual instruction, St. Carlo Acutis Classical Academy will also offer geographic hubs throughout Oklahoma parishes. The hubs will provide opportunities for students to gather for hands-on learning, discovery opportunities, labs and community-building activities, fostering fellowship and a strong sense of community, all through the Catholic lens.
“The classes taught at St. Carlo Acutis Classical Academy will have Jesus Christ as the Logos, focusing on the transcendentals of truth, goodness and beauty with attention given to teaching and growing in virtue,” Archbishop Paul Coakley said. “The focus of all school curriculum will be the nurturing of the Christian development of each student and by providing guidelines for academic excellence in the context of our Catholic faith through the Catholic intellectual tradition.”
Said Bishop David Konderla: “Carlo loved video games, computer programming, soccer, school and spending time with friends, but most of all, he loved our Lord Jesus Christ. Deeply devoted to the Eucharist, Carlo used his knowledge of the internet to create a website documenting Eucharistic miracles, which has since inspired and educated people around the world. His life exemplified humility, piety, devotion, and discipline. His faith-filled life continues to inspire young people everywhere.”
That faith-filled life will be a model for the new school.
“St. Carlo Acutis said, ‘To be with God, that is my life project,’” Smith said, “and everything we at the academy do walks us closer to unity with Christ.”
St. Carlo Acutis is the first millennial saint. His canonization was held on Sunday, Sept. 7 at teh Vatican.
He was born May 3, 1991, in London, and just a few months later, he moved with his parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, to Milan, Italy.
Carlo loved video games, computer programming, soccer, school, and spending time with friends—but most of all, he loved our Lord Jesus Christ. Deeply devoted to the Eucharist, Carlo used his knowledge of the internet to create a website documenting Eucharistic miracles, which has since inspired and educated people around the world.
He was a good and faithful friend and was known for standing up for kids at school who were bullied, especially kids with disabilities. With his friends, he spoke about the importance of going to Mass and confession, human dignity, and chastity.
Carlo died on Oct. 12, 2006, from a acute leukemia, and was buried in Assisi. While fighting his cancer, he offered up his suffering for the Pope and the Catholic Church and was a witness with his humble strength through his illness and death. His body lies in repose in a glass tomb in Assisi.
His life exemplified humility, piety, devotion, and discipline. His faith-filled life continues to inspire young people everywhere.
The new virtual school's motto is based on one of his most beloved quotes: "Not me, but God."
Please prayerfully consider becoming a part of this innovative school.
"To be always with Jesus, this is my life project." – St. Carlo Acutis
For more information about St. Carlo Acutis Classical Academy: an Oklahoma Virtual School, visit www.Acutisacademy.org
Sanctity and Soccer: Pilgrims of Hope Visit North Tulsa's St. Augustine Church
BY JEAN YAEGER
TULSA — September’s stop on the Jubilee of Hope Pilgrimage included prayers for athletes and exuberant song and dance at St. Augustine Catholic Church in north Tulsa on Saturday. The pilgrimage Mass was the ninth of 12 sites planned across the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma this year. A different theme is carried out each month.
St. Augustine sponsors a popular soccer league where games are played on fields adjacent to the church. A fitting pilgrimage theme? Evangelization through sports.
“We pray for all of those who organize, coach and play sports, that it may serve as a way to encounter God through the goodness of creation, community and competition,” the congregation prayed in a petition.
Father Celestine Obidiegwu, pastor at St. Augustine and St. Monica parishes, spoke about the North Tulsa Soccer League supplying boys and girls with cleats, shin guards and other gear for just $25 per player. Counting those signed up for next season, about 1,600 youth have participated. Father Celestine thanked the volunteer coaches, referees, mowing crew and the donors who provide lunch on game day and other support. More volunteers are needed. “We will surely keep you busy,” he said.
“You’re having fun, but you’re with God while you’re playing soccer,” said soccer player Francisco Todd, age 11. He likes the blessings prayed before games kick off, as well as the emphasis on good sportsmanship and new friendships.
Deacon Charles Beard said soccer provides an opportunity to bring Christ to the next generation.
“I see the league as a way of realizing the hope that the faith will be passed on in North Tulsa,” said Deacon Beard, who serves at St. Augustine and St. Monica churches. “Since the league has started, our religious education program went from 25 children to 120 children in three years. God is using the league to keep the flame of faith burning.”
Bishop David Konderla celebrated the Mass and delivered the homily in English and Spanish. He cited three reasons for hope:
1. Jesus, always Jesus. “Everything begins and ends with our savior,” Bishop Konderla said. “It is only by his grace that we are able to stand before God. And we let go of the idea that we need to be any different than we are right now for Jesus to love us and to save us.”
2. Prayers of the Church community. “What we see here this morning … it’s the overflowing parking lot, it’s all of us gathered here together.”
3. Mary the Blessed Mother. “The mother of God was given to all of us in the Church as our mother to intercede for us to her son.”
A large and diverse crowd packed the pews, with extra chairs in the church gym allowing others to participate in Mass via livestream. The choir sung gospel-style hymns punctuated by clapping. Tambourine player Chika Nwanebu said the instrument expresses her joy at Mass. “I don’t practice. I just play,” she said.
Costumed dancers put their prayers in motion to the beat of drums as part of a reception afterward.
The Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage travels to the Southern Vicariate on Saturday, Oct. 4, at St. Agnes Church in Antlers. The theme will be Immigrants & Victims of Trafficking. For more about the Jubilee Year of Hope in the diocese, click here.
EOC Photos
Diocese of Tulsa Partners with Popular Hallow Prayer App
BROKEN ARROW — In a unique pilot program, the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma has partnered with the most popular prayer app in the world, Hallow, to begin producing local content for parishioners throughout the diocese.
Within the next several weeks, locally produced devotions and prayers from Bishop David Konderla will begin appearing on the app that are exclusive to the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Additionally, all Diocesan schools now have access to content and resources on the Hallow app.
Hallow uses geolocation technology to push out Diocese of Tulsa content to anyone using the app within an eastern Oklahoma zip code. Everyone may sign up for the app for free at hallow.com. EOC extra readers are invited to join the Diocese of Tulsa Leadership Group on the app to pray, discern, and strategize together.
"We hope to have regular diocesan content available on the app beginning next month," said Chris Rush, communications director for the diocese. "In the meantime, a trial podcast of Bishop David Konderla sharing his reflection on this past Sunday’s Gospel is currently available here."
In the weeks and months to come, the diocese will produce various audio content that will be made available on the app. Other features will continue to roll out over the next several months.
"We want to ultimately fuel the mission of the Church through our prayer efforts together," said Joshua Danis of Hallow in announcing the partnership at the diocese's recent Faith Formation Conference.
Hallow, which launched in 2018, has been the most downloaded and used Catholic app in the world for years, and recently surpassed one billion prayers prayed using the app. Earlier this year, thanks to a Super Bowl commercial featuring devout Catholic actor Mark Wahlberg and a Lenten prayer challenge, Hallow also took over the No. 1 spot on the Apple App Store.
The partnership with Hallow is made possible through a generous gift from a local private foundation.
More About Hallow from its Founder and CEO Alex Jones:
"I grew up Catholic, but fell away from my faith. I became fascinated with secular meditation, but always felt like something was missing – like I was being pulled towards something deeper.
I started asking everyone I knew if there was any sort of intersection between meditation and faith, and what I found changed my life…
The Holy Spirit quickly pulled together our amazing team and we began learning about the Church’s beautiful tradition of prayer and meditation. Not just what we all knew from grade school, but deep and transformative contemplative and meditative prayer techniques.
So we quit our jobs and began building Hallow. We launched the app at the end of 2018, and have just been working to make it better ever since."
To join the Diocese of Tulsa Leaders Group on Hallow, scan the QR code below or follow this link: hallow.app.link/puxrEjoDoWb
Students, teachers and administrators in all Diocesan schools now have access to prayers, devotionals and other features that can be used in the classroom on the Hallow app.
Dewey's Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish to Celebrate 100 Years
DEWEY — Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dewey is preparing to celebrate its centennial this week.
The parish was officially established on Sept. 12, 1925, for a community of Mexican immigrants. Father Leonard Higgins, pastor of the church, penned a brief history of the parish in the most recent issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine. It can be read online here.
The parish was officially established on Sept. 12, 1925, for a community of Mexican immigrants. Father Leonard Higgins, pastor of the church, penned a brief history of the parish in the most recent issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine. It can be read online here.
"This new church, built in southwestern architectural style, has served the Catholic community of the Dewey area since 1954," writes Fr. Higgins in his story. "A Mass to mark the parish’s centennial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14. All are invited. A special invitation is extended to all former members of Our Lady of Guadalupe and their descendants."
Bishop David Konderla will celebrate the Centennial Mass. The parish is located at 400 W. 9th St. in Dewey.
Hartshorne Parish to Mark 130th Anniversary
HARTSHORNE — Holy Rosary Catholic Church is preparing to celebrate its 130th anniversary in October.
"We are excited to invite everyone to our Feast Day Celebration Picnic at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on Saturday, October 4 at 2 p.m." says Father Leonardo Medina, pastor of the Hartshorne parish. "The day will begin with Holy Mass, followed by an afternoon full of joy, hot dogs, hamburgers, tacos, music, and fun for the whole family."
Bishop David Konderla will be on hand to celebrate the Mass at 2 p.m., followed by the parish picnic.
Celebrating 150 Years of the Church in Oklahoma, Part 1
BY SEAN COLLINS
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of a series of stories leading up to the 18-month celebration, kicking off this October, of the sesquicentennial – 150 years – of the Catholic Church's permanent presence in Oklahoma.
OKLAHOMA CITY — On an October day in 1875, two intrepid monks from the French Benedictine monastery of Our Lady of La Pierre-qui-Vire set foot for the first time in the mission territory that had been entrusted to them by the Church.
The date was Oct. 12, and Father Isidore Robot, O.S.B., and Brother Dominic Lambert, O.S.B., finally arrived at a destiny and mission that was long in the making – a destiny and mission that would evolve into Saint Gregory’s Abbey, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa.
“Oct. 12, 1875, is a shared beginning for Catholic life in Oklahoma,” said Abbot Lawrence Stasyszen, O.S.B. “We are grateful that Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City and Bishop David Konderla of Tulsa are joining the monks of Saint Gregory’s to celebrate this important milestone in the life of the Church here.”
A number of events are planned in the months ahead, beginning in October 2025 and continuing through June 2027. The monastic community will observe the actual date of the arrival of the founding monks on Sunday, Oct. 12. The celebration will begin with Mass at 10 a.m. in the Abbey Church. Most Reverend Jonathan Licari, O.S.B., abbot president of the American Cassinese Congregation of Monasteries, will preside the Mass and will be joined by numerous other Benedictine abbots, representatives of other monasteries, Oblates and friends of Saint Gregory’s Abbey.
A Solemn Mass will then be celebrated at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13 at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine. His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre, Papal Nuncio to the United States, is scheduled to preside at the Mass with Archbishop Coakley, Bishop Konderla and Abbot Lawrence serving as principal concelebrants.
The full story can be found at the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City website here.
St. Gregory’s Abbey will soon begin an 18-month celebration of the sesquicentennial of the arrival of its founders in Indian Territory on Oct. 12, 1875.
In the early 1870s, Church leaders were looking for a solution for the pastoral care of Catholic Native Americans who had been forcibly moved to Indian Territory. Eventually, officials learned of two French Benedictine monks looking for a location where they could establish the missionary monastery that they envisioned. Fr. Isidore Robot, O.S.B., and Br. Dominic Lambert, O.S.B., received and accepted the challenge of establishing not only their monastery, but also the Prefecture of Indian Territory, which has evolved into the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa.
The Abbey will celebrate the actual 150th anniversary, Oct. 12, with Mass at 10 a.m. in the Abbey Church. A larger celebration will be held on Monday, Oct. 13, at the Shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City. The solemn Mass will begin at 4 p.m. with Archbishop Paul Coakley, Bishop David Konderla, clergy from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa, along with several abbots and representatives of other monastic foundations from the United States, France and England in attendance.
For more information, click here.
From the Editor...
We held release of today's e-newsletter a bit later than normal so that we could jointly announce with the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City the launch of St. Carlo Acutis Classical Academy: An Oklahoma Virtual School. On the heels of his canonization yesterday in Rome, the new online school named for the inquisitive and technologically savvy young saint will serve the entire state with high-quality, faith-based education.
The school will begin offering classes in the fall of 2026. We will update you with new developments as they are announced. In the meantime, you may find more information about the school at its brand-new website, www.Acutisacademy.org
We are also working with the Archdiocese and St. Gregory's Abbey in Shawnee to help celebrate 150 years of permanent Catholic presence in Oklahoma. Did you know that the very first Catholic Church constructed in Oklahoma, then known as Indian Territory, was in Atoka? Irish railroad workers began construction, and the Benedictine friars helped complete the work in 1875. We will publish a series of stories leading up to the Sesquicentennial kick-off celebration in October.
Last week, I asked readers within the diocese who attend daily Mass to submit their thoughts and observations for a future story in Eastern Oklahoma Catholic. The response has been overwhelming! So much so, in fact, that my challenge will be to winnow all these excellent and thoughtful comments down to a manageable level. Thank you to everyone who contacted me and offered to share their personal stories of faith. It is truly appreciated and inspiring.
Until next week, thanks for reading!
Chris Rush
Chief 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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