Flocknote

e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine

Deacon Adrian Meneses to be Ordained to Priesthood Friday

TULSA — Reverend Adrian Meneses Duarte is set to be Ordained to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ by His Excellency Most Reverend David Konderla, Bishop of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, at 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 9, at Holy Family Cathedral.

All faithful of the diocese are invited to share in this special event in the life of the local Church. A reception and First Blessing will follow the Mass. Vespers will take place at 6 p.m. the preceding evening, Jan. 8, also at Holy Family Cathedral.
The newly ordained Father Adrian Meneses will offer his first Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Muskogee, at 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10.
Meneses, who graduated from Saint Meinrad Seminary in Indiana with a Master of Divinity in May of 2025, has served as a Transitional Deacon at St. Pius X parish in Tulsa since his ordination to the Diaconate last spring. He will continue his service at St. Pius X as associate pastor following his ordination to the priesthood.

For a brief biographical profile of Deacon Meneses, click here. A more expansive feature profiling his journey to the priesthood was recently published online by Aleteia. Click here to read his inspiring story.

Hope Rings Out in Jubilee Closing Mass

BY JEAN YAEGER/EOC CORRESPONDENT

TULSA – With praise and gratitude, the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma concluded its portion of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope by pointing to Jesus.

“The Lord has caused a river of grace and blessing to flow,” said Bishop David Konderla, who celebrated the jubilee’s closing Mass on Dec. 28, at Holy Family Cathedral in downtown Tulsa. “He has granted to all of us his hope and his peace. He has strengthened the weak hands and made firm the feeble knees and has said to each one of us, ‘Take courage. Do not be afraid.’”

Crowds of pilgrims traveled to selected churches across the diocese on the first Saturday of each month last year to take part in jubilee Masses and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Each month’s theme emphasized prayers for the sick, the poor, prisoners, immigrants and others in need of hope.

The 12 parishes that were chosen as pilgrimage destinations reflected locations both urban and rural as well as the cultural diversity of Oklahoma Catholics. Several of the Masses included the Spanish, Zomi, Vietnamese and Chuukese languages.

Given all that diversity, what did the pilgrimage churches have in common? A robust outpouring of faithfulness, hospitality and joyful community.

At the closing Mass, representatives of the 12 host parishes brought up the offertory gifts. The collection went to Catholic Charities in solidarity with the poor.

In his homily, Bishop Konderla said we should derive our hope from Jesus our Lord and Savior, rather than from material things. And always be grateful for the ways God helps us grow in our relationship with Him.

“Think of the difference that would make when you expect to see more and more signs of God’s action in your life, and you’re looking for it, and when you see it, you’re ready to jump on it and give thanks to God,” he said. “It will cause us to become people who overflow with joy and hope.”

As pilgrims left the cathedral, volunteers handed out packets containing ideas to foster hope for families, parishes and the less fortunate. Pilgrims who attended the opening Mass in December 2024 and all 12 monthly Masses were presented with “perfect attendance” certificates.

Chris and Mary Jones attended each of the pilgrimage Masses, driving from Bartlesville, where they are parishioners at St. John Before the Latin Gate. Their daughter Anna came along when her work schedule allowed. Their son, seminarian Joseph Jones, helped with the jubilee year’s first Mass.

“The numerous priests at each parish made celebrating Reconciliation easy,” Mrs. Jones said in reflecting back on the blessings. “We remember Bishop telling us that hope is more than a wish; it involves action.”

Mrs. Jones cited moments that especially touched her: families from many backgrounds praying together, the friendliness each parish showed to visitors, and going to confession and Mass outdoors under a big tent in Antlers.

Pilgrimage destinations in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma in 2025 were:

· January – St. Francis Xavier in Tulsa

· February – Sacred Heart in Miami

· March –St. Joseph Vietnamese in Tulsa

· April – St. John Catholic Student Center in Stillwater

· May – Immaculate Conception in Pawhuska

· June – Holy Family Cathedral

· July – St. Anne in Broken Arrow

· August -- St. Catherine of Alexandria in Tulsa

· September – St. Augustine in Tulsa

· October – St. Agnes in Antlers

· November – Sacred Heart Mission in Heavener

· December – St. John the Evangelist in McAlester

In Rome, the Jubilee Year concludes Jan. 6, when Pope Leo XIV closes the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Photos by Lori Scholl

2026 Faith & Works Appeal Launches in EOC Magazine

BROKEN ARROW — Households across the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma will be receiving their mailed copy of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine kicking off the 2026 Faith & Works appeal this week.

"The Faith & Works Annual Appeal is an opportunity to put this idea of stewardship into practice," says Isaac Owen, Development Director for the diocese. "It gives Catholics across our diocese a real way to respond to God’s goodness and support the Church’s mission together. Every gift, no matter the size, becomes part of something much greater than any one of us could do by ourselves."

This year's theme is, "Let His Mission Be Yours." To that end, a key aspect of the annual Faith & Works Appeal is its support for the ministries and offices that serve the diocese under Bishop David Konderla’s leadership. These offices help the bishop guide the local Church, teach the faith, and care for the community.

"The Parish Support team, which you will hear quite a bit about in this issue, is vital in helping the bishop encourage evangelization and support families in our parishes," says Owen. "Because of the appeal, the bishop can reach every part of the diocese, from downtown Tulsa to the smallest rural missions. Every Catholic in Eastern Oklahoma benefits."

Local stories in the January/February issue of the EOC include a profile on Owen, as well as CFO Ryan McDaniel. Both started their tenures with the diocese last summer. In addition, Vicar General Fr. Gary Kastl explains the recent change in focus at the Chancery and the creation of the Parish Support Team.

Other stories feature the unique function and work of Deacon Andy Thomas as a Generalist in the expansive Southern Vicariate and Seminarian Joey Griggs' continuing journey toward the priesthood.

This latest issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic is also available online by clicking here.

Isaac Owen

Bishop Blesses Future Home of Stilwell Mission

STILWELL — Bishop David Konderla blessed the future home of the San Juan Diego Mission in Stilwell on Dec. 20.
Joined by Father David Medina, who serves as pastor at St. Brigid in Tahlequah and the mission in Stilwell, as well as members of the local faith community, Bishop Konderla offered prayers at the building site where the new church is currently taking shape. A concrete foundation and the steel superstructure have already been constructed.

The San Juan Diego Mission is a growing Catholic community, primarily serving Latino families in Adair County, known for its strong faith and vibrant outreach in one of Oklahoma's most economically challenged areas. The mission has outgrown its current home — an abandoned storefront in downtown Stilwell. Thanks to the aid and generosity of the Catholic Extension Society in partnership with the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, a new and larger church building is planned to be completed in late spring of this year.

To read an informative feature story profiling the San Juan Diego Mission by the Catholic Extension Society, also republished in the December 2025 issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine, click here.

Photos courtesy of San Juan Diego Mission

Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph Monastery to Host Lectio Retreat

TULSA — The Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph Monastery in Tulsa are again hosting their popular Lectio Retreat, Feb. 11-14, at the monastery.

"This powerful experience teaches the prayer practice of Lectio (praying with the Scriptures)," according to a news release from the Sisters. "We are happy to invite you to learn and practice a way to sustain your awareness of God’s grace in ordinary life."

The dates and times for the next retreat is set for Feb. 11, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.; Feb. 12-13, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.; and Feb. 14, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

For more information, or to register, visit www.stjosephmonastery.org and click "RETREATS" for details. Inquiries may also be emailed to lectio@stjosephmonastery.org

Saint of the Month:

St. Marianne Cope, Patroness of Hawaii

1838-1918 | Feast: Jan. 23

BY CANDACE BRYANT-LESTER/FAITH CATHOLIC

From Germany to New York to Hawaii, St. Marianne Cope traveled across the world to joyfully care for and show the poor and marginalized the undying love of Christ when others abandoned them.

Born Barbara Koob in western Germany in 1838, Barbara’s family emigrated to the United States the following year. As the eldest in a large family, she helped care for her family until the age of 24, when she entered the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse, NY, and received the new name Marianne Cope.

While she began religious life as a teacher and principal of elementary schools, God had other plans for the future saint and led her to help establish the first two Catholic hospitals in central New York. She served as head administrator for one and ensured the hospitals accepted “outcast” patients for treatment, serving the lowest of society with her signature kindness.

In 1883, the Hawaiian government reached out to religious communities in the U.S. and Canada, searching for someone to run the Kaka’ako Receiving Station where those suspected of having leprosy were housed. Thirty-five sisters volunteered, and the now Mother Marianne and six others left for the islands.

The sisters began serving exiled Hawaiians on Oahu, and soon they opened a home to care for the healthy children of exiled patients. While Father Damien of Molokai oversaw the boys’ home, Mother Marianne managed the girls’ home and also managed the island’s first general hospital. In 1888, she and the sisters moved to Kalaupapa to care for those exiled to the island of Molokai with Hansen’s disease. There, Marianne cared for Father Damien in his final months. She was known for changing daily life for the exiled, brightening otherwise dreary lives with bright scarves and dresses for the women.

As Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said of Marianne at her beatification in 2005: “She spoke the language of truth and love to the world.” Marianne was canonized in 2012 by Pope Benedict. The Sisters of St. Francis still serve the people of Hawaii today.

St. Marianne Cope, pray for us!

From the Editor...

In the words of legendary singing cowboy Gene Autrey, we're "back in the saddle again." Our Chancery offices reopened today following the Christmas and New Year holidays and there's much work to be done as we launch into 2026, ready or not.

Right off the bat, readers of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine should be receiving their print copy of the January/February issue in their mailbox this week. In it, we launch the 2026 Faith & Works appeal and tell several stories about the good work being directed by Bishop David Konderla throughout the diocese. There have been many changes in staffing and focus here at the Chancery in recent months and we've attempted to cover it all in this issue of the magazine.

Another publishing project that is expected to come to fruition early this year is a commemorative magazine chronicling the Sesquicentennial (150 years) of permanent Catholic presence in Oklahoma. This special history publication, in which we assisted the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City to produce, will be made available at local parishes for distribution soon. We will provide additional details on its release date and distribution in the very near future.

Until next week, thanks for reading!

Chris Rush

Editor