e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
Two Men Called to Holy Orders
TULSA — It is with great joy that the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma announces banns of ordination to Holy Orders (Cf. CIC Canons 1043 and 1051 §2) for two men of the diocese.
Stephen Matthew McClain, parishioner of St. John Before the Latin Gate in Bartlesville, has been called to be ordained to the Order of the Diaconate (transitional) at 6 p.m., Dec.19, 2025 at Holy Family Cathedral. McClain is currently a fourth configuration seminarian at St. Meinrad Seminary.
Deacon Adrian Meneses-Duarte, parishioner of St. Joseph in Muskogee, is called to be ordained to the Order of the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ at 6 p.m., Jan. 9, 2026, at Holy Family Cathedral. Meneses-Duarte is currently serving as a transitional deacon at St. Pius X in Tulsa as part of his vocational synthesis.
Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for their ordinations. Moreover, if there are any concerns or objections regarding their advancement to Holy Orders, please contact Fr. Duy Nguyen, Director of Vocations, at 918-307-4909 or at fr.duy.nguyen@dioceseoftulsa.org
Stephen Matthew McClain
Deacon Adrian Meneses-Duarte
Bristow Parish Celebrates 100 Years, Completes Christian Initiation of Youth
BRISTOW — Bishop David Konderla joined Pastor Fr. Robert Kimpu in celebrating a very special Saturday Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church as the parish not only celebrated its 100-year anniversary, but also Christian initiation for young members of the community through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and first Eucharist.
Mass began at 10 a.m. with a full congregation including Communicants and Confirmandi to celebrate the historic milestone and participate in the sacraments. Bishop Konderla, in his homily, highlighted that understanding the true meaning of the sacraments is a continuous process, one that even the oldest parish members are still exploring.
"We recognize that it is a lifelong journey," said Bishop Konderla. "One thing is for sure; no one here is going to be at the 200th anniversary of the parish, but we pray that everyone here will be associated with that anniversary, but from the life of heaven, because that's where we're all headed."
Following the Mass, parishioners enjoyed lunch and a program highlighting parish history, as well as games and other activities.
A complete audio/video recording of Saturday's historic Mass is available at the St. Joseph's Facebook page here.
Special to the EOC by Lori Scholl
Bishop Blesses New Crosses at Cathedral
TULSA — Today, Bishop David Konderla blessed a pair of 10-feet-tall copper crosses that will be raised atop the front two spires of Holy Family Cathedral. This morning's ceremony took place in the parking lot across Boulder Avenue from the cathedral at 10 a.m.
According to Monica Conro operations manager for HFC, the blessing and cross raising atop the two front spires is an historic moment for the Cathedral. The original crosses were in place from 1914 to 2025.
Holy Family Cathedral’s three towers are an iconic part of the Tulsa skyline. From now until December 2025, workers have been installing a new copper roof. Scaffolding currently encompasses the church from the lower parts of the roof to the tops of the crosses. The massive roof replacement project was necessitated by the Father’s Day storm of 2023 which dealt significant damage to the three spires and the lower roof.
After completing the front two spires, the roofing contractor will soon begin work on the 251-foot-tall main spire of the cathedral. All work is expected to be completed by Christmas.
Leadership teams from the roofing contractor Executive Exteriors, Cooper Project Associates, Cathedral clergy, parish and school staff participated in today's event.
Leadership teams from the roofing contractor Executive Exteriors, Cooper Project Associates, Cathedral clergy, parish and school staff participated in today's event.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
Eighteen Months After Tornado, New Parish Hall Construction Complete in Barnsdall
BARNSDALL — In the late-night hours of May 6, 2024, an EF-4 tornado tore through the Eastside of town, destroying or damaging multiple homes and leaving mass destruction in its wake. Miraculously, St. Mary's Catholic Church survived an apparent direct hit, but the adjacent parish hall was not so fortunate.
But now, 18 months later, the Church has been repaired, windows and doors replaced, the grounds swept clean, and a bright new parish hall stands on the former foundation ready to host future gatherings and celebrations. Bishop David Konderla celebrated Sunday Mass and blessed the new facility that is expected to open in late November pending final approval from the State Fire Marshal.
"It was a trying moment for all of us here in our parish, but our bishop and the diocese stood by us every step of the way to encourage us and to assure us that they are going to rebuild our hall, and indeed, that has come to fruition today," said St. Mary's pastor, Fr. Emmanuel Nduka, at the conclusion of Mass. "So dear bishop, I want to thank you on behalf of my parishioners. You have shown us how much you have loved us, and we'll not take it for granted. Thank you so much."
The parish also celebrated the news that it had met and exceeded its annual fundraising goal for the 2025 Faith & Works Appeal.
"My dear friends, thank you so much for your love, for your support. Thank you all so much," added Fr. Nduka.
Bishop Konderla had earlier that morning also joined Fr. Nduka for Mass at Immaculate Conception in Pawhuska before traveling to Barnsdall. Following the blessing and a brief tour of the new parish hall, Bishop Konderla then joined St. Mary's parishioners for a lunch at a nearby gathering spot in town.
For the miraculous story of the Church surviving the 2024 tornado and how parishioners and townspeople pitched in to repair and restore, see our cover story in the July/August 2024 issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine here.
Pilgrimage Mass Set for Saturday at Sacred Heart Mission in Heavener
HEAVENER — The eleventh of 12 monthly pilgrimage Masses during the Jubiliee Year of Hope 2025 will take place this Saturday, Nov 1, at the Sacred Heart Mission in Heavener.
Bishop David Konderla will join Pastor Fr. Leonardo Medina in celebrating the first Saturday Mass at10 a.m. wit the theme, Missionaries & Those Who Have Not Yet Encountered Jesus Christ.
The modern Sacred Heart Mission in Heavener was preceded by the historic Sacred Heart Mission that was founded in 1876 by Potawatomie Indians and later destroyed by fire in 1901. The current Sacred Heart Mission is located at 515 E. 1st St., in Heavener.
The remaining monthly pilgrimage Masses as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope will take place on Dec. 6, at St. John Catholic Church in McAlester and the closing Mass for the Jubilee Year on Dec. 28, at Holy Family Cathedral. For more about the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 within the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, click here.
Registration Deadline Nears for 2025 DCYC
TULSA — The registration deadline for the 2025 Discipleship Catholic Youth Conference (DCYC) is Nov. 7, for high schoolers grades 9th-12th, to attend the one-day conference from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Arvest Convention Center in downtown.
DCYC provides an opportunity for young people to encounter Jesus Christ — present in the Eucharist, revealed through inspiring talks, and glorified in heartfelt praise and worship. The theme this year is Rise Up: Saints in the Making, highlighting the call to sainthood and encouraging youth to rise and live out the Gospel.
"We have a dynamic trio of speakers —Oscar Rivera, Beth Davis, and Tanner Kalina — who will lead us into the true meaning of the Gospel, the love of God, and the mystery of the Eucharist," says Molly Allee, Coach for Youth, Young Adults and Campus Minstry. "Ben Walther, whose reverent and engaging praise and worship, will guide us deeper into prayer and reflection on what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ.
Allee said the event promises to be an exciting, yet prayerful experience of faith that invites a deeper conversion of heart, one that can further nurture and form young people within their parish community
Registration sign-ups and information have been sent through email and Flocknote to all parishes. Please reach out to your parish to register. For questions or more information, contact Allee at molly.allee@dioceseoftulsa.org
From the Editor...
Before the month gets away from us, we need to acknowledge National Principals Month being celebrated this October. It is an annual event dedicated to honoring the contributions of school leaders around the country. Activities include staff, students, and communities showing appreciation through cards, social media posts, and assemblies. We offer our enthusiastic "thank you" to all our hardworking Catholic School Principals in the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma!
All Souls' Day falls on Sunday, Nov. 2, this year and Bishop Konderla will celebrate Mass at 3 p.m. at Calvary Cemetery Chapel, 9101 S. Harvard in Tulsa, in commemoration of all the faithful departed.
Until next week, thanks for reading!
Chris Rush
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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