e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
Bishop Blesses Completed Expansion, New Chapel at Saint Francis Hospital South
TULSA — Bishop David Konderla blessed the just-completed building expansion at Saint Francis Hospital South and its beautiful new chapel on Wednesday morning.
"May grace and peace be with you all in the Holy Chapel of God," said Bishop Konderla as he proceeded to bless the new chapel with the sprinkling of water. "Dear brothers and sisters, we have gathered here with great joy to offer a new chapel to God."
After the Mass, which was concelebrated by several diocesan priests and attended by hospital leadership and employees, the Bishop strode the lobbies and hallways of the gleaming new facility blessing it with water. The following day, Saint Francis Health System celebrated the official opening of the new tower with a ribbon cutting and media tours. The hospital also hosted an open house for the community on Saturday.
“This expansion ensures we can continue to grow alongside our community,” said Todd Schuster, president of Saint Francis Hospital South. “As the region grows, this allows us to meet patients’ needs with the right space, services and caregivers — now and well into the future.”
The $357 million expansion project broke ground in 2021 and adds more than 280,000 square feet to the complex, significantly expanding patient care capacity and modernizing clinical space. Located at 91st Street South and U.S. 169, the new patient tower is expected to significantly strengthen the hospital’s ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of south Tulsa, Bixby, Broken Arrow and surrounding communities.
“Caring for a community means investing ahead of growth, not simply reacting to it,” said Dr. Cliff Robertson, president and CEO of Saint Francis Health System. “This expansion is our commitment to families in south Tulsa and surrounding areas that they will have access to high-quality care close to home, both today and in the years ahead.”
This is the second major hospital expansion project that SFHS has completed in as many months. The Tulsa-based Catholic healthcare system just recently celebrated the completion of a new seven-story patient tower at Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee in early December.
The south Tulsa expansion will support more than 450 new jobs. An economic impact study from the Tulsa Regional Chamber estimates the expansion will generate nearly $260 million in labor income and contribute more than $350 million to the regional economy, with total economic output exceeding $614 million.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
Fr. Jack Tierney, OSA, to Become 14th Headmaster at Cascia Hall
TULSA — Fr. Jack Tierney, OSA, PhD, will become the 14th Headmaster of Cascia Hall Preparatory School on July 1, 2026, it was announced last week by the school.
"We are excited to welcome him to the Cascia community. We are confident that Fr. Jack's leadership will help us build faithfully upon the Augustinian mission and tradition," stated the announcment posted on the school's social media. "We ask for your prayers and support as Fr. Jack and Fr. Philip (Cook) prepare for this moment of transition in their lives and in the life of the community. We give thanks for Fr. Jack's appointment and offer him our wholehearted support. May God bless him and our Cascia Hall community."
Father Tierney will succeed Father Philip Cook, OSA, Ph.D., who has served as headmaster at the private Augustinian high school since July 1, 2018. Father Cook has been associated with Cascia Hall off and on since 1993.
Father Tierney attended the University of Minnesota where he studied political science. He then studied at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and pursued a master’s in public policy and administration at Northwestern University. He earned a Ph.D. in public policy at St. Louis University. He was ordained a priest on July 25, 2020.
In his work in the Augustinian vocation office, Tierney served as a high school chaplain and spent time serving at Life Teen summer camps.
Fr. Jack Tierney, OSA
St. Anne to Host Monthly 'First Saturday' Devotions in Observance of St. Francis of Assisi Jubilee
BROKEN ARROW — In celebration of the Eighth Centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, in which a special Jubilee Year has been proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV, St. Anne Catholic Church will host a "First Saturday" devotion each month beginning on February 7.
"We will be utilizing our beautiful stained-glass window of St. Francis in the narthex of St. Anne Church," says Father Matt Gerlach, pastor of the Broken Arrow parish. "Each First Saturday, following the 8 a.m. morning Mass, those in attendance will be invited to gather in front of the window to pray or sing The Prayer of St. Francis. Following that, a priest will be on hand for confessions until 9:30 a.m."
Last month, the Holy See issued a Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the occasion of the Eighth Centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, by which a special Jubilee Year is proclaimed with associated Plenary Indulgences.
"His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Minister of our faith and our joy, establishes that, from 10 January 2026, coinciding with the closing of the Ordinary Jubilee, until 10 January 2027, a special Year of Saint Francis shall be proclaimed, in which every faithful Christian, following the example of the Saint of Assisi, shall become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace."
To read the full decree issued by The Vatican in accordance with the will of the Supreme Pontiff, click here.
St. Anne has been designated as an official pilgrimage site within the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma for the special Jubilee Year due to its strong historical connections to the Franciscan Order.
"From 1948 to 1995, the parish of St. Anne was staffed by Capuchin Franciscan Friars, mostly from Poland, who ended up in Oklahoma to express their gratitude for the liberation of Dachau by the U.S. Seventh Army's 45th Infantry Division," says Fr. Gerlach. "Today, the spirit of the Capuchin Franciscans is alive and well, lived out through the St. Stanislaus and St. Adalbert Chapter of the Third Order of Franciscans. The Capuchin Franciscan Friars built many of the buildings that still serve our parish community, including the Parish Hall, our office building, and a couple of the school buildings."
For more information about St. Anne parish, go to: www.stanneba.org
Photo courtesy of St. Anne Catholic Church
Stained glass window of St. Francis of Assisi located in the narthex of St. Anne Catholic Church in Broken Arrow. Monthly First Saturday pilgrimages will be hosted here throughout the Jubilee Year, beginning Feb. 7.
National Catholic Media Highlight Diocese of Tulsa
BROKEN ARROW - Yet another prominent national Catholic media outlet is reporting the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma as one of the nation's "Most Fruitful."
The Jan. 30 issue of National Catholic Register cites the earlier data collection and reporting of Catholic World Report in a closer examination of the Dioceses of Nashville and Tulsa for the article, "What’s Special About the Most ‘Fruitful’ US Dioceses? ‘It’s the People," by NCR staff writer Jonah McKeown.
"The Register’s ongoing “Catholic Hubs” series has sought to highlight places where Catholicism seems to be on the upswing, rather than on the decline — places where efforts to promote and live out the Catholic faith really seem to be working," the NCR article states.
A statistical analysis measuring various data points such as Catholic weddings, infant baptisms, number of seminarians, and adult Catholic converts — all relative to Catholic populations — was published last year in Catholic World Report. A presentation of that data put Tulsa tied for first place among the nation’s most “fruitful” dioceses. The CWR analysis examined every U.S. diocese.
With approximately 61,000 Catholics, Bishop David Konderla said the primary engine of growth in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma is a deliberate and active culture of invitation at the parish level. The Diocese has seen a surge of converts through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).
“The Catholic population has a lot of strength for how small it is,” Bishop Konderla said. Approximately seven percent of the population is Catholic within the Diocses of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma.
Dr. Richard Meloche Named Headmaster at New Catholic School Forming in Edmond
TULSA — Dr. Richard Meloche, who currently serves as the Interim Head of High School at Holy Family Classical School, has accepted the position of inaugural Headmaster at the new St. Monica’s Catholic Academy in Edmond.
"This is exciting for Dr. Meloche and for the people of St. Monica Catholic Church," said Father Brian O'Brien, rector of Holy Family Cathedral, in making the announcement to parents and parishioners last week. "We are grateful that he will continue to serve our community as Interim Head of High School for the remainder of the academic term."
Dr. Meloche will begin his new postion in Edmond later this summer. Prior to serving at Holy Family, he previously served as president of the former Alcuin Institute for Catholic Culture and then as a team member of the former Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (now Parish Support) for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. He joined the Catholic Schools Office last fall as director of special projects.
"We are thrilled for Dr. Meloche and the St. Monica Catholic Church community as they begin this exciting new chapter," reads a statement issued by the Catholic Schools Office. "Although his new role will not officially begin until later this summer, we are grateful that he will continue to support our office and serve as Interim Head of High School for the remainder of the academic year."
Dr. Meloche holds a Ph.D. in theology from Ave Maria University and has more than 15 years of service at various Catholic colleges and institutions. His expertise spans the full philosophical, theological, and literary heritage of the West, and he has been instrumental in developing various classical curricula, programs, and educational start-ups.
Dr. Meloche and his wife, Manuela, have eight children.
Dr. Richard Meloche
St. Monica Catholic Academy in Edmond, Okla., will begin in Fall of 2026 with grades PreK 4 -Grade 2, adding a grade level each subsequent year until Grade 12. Click here for more.
Saint of the Month:
St. Gregory of Narek
(c. 945-1010) Feast Day: Feb. 27
BY RACHEL ESPINOZA
Senior Editor/FAITH Catholic
Revered in both the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church, St. Gregory of Narek was a mystical and lyrical poet, monk and theologian. Born in a village on the shores of Lake Van in present-day eastern Turkey, his mother died when he was young. After being widowed, his father was ordained a bishop and appointed primate of the diocese of Andzevatsik. Gregory and his older brother were then sent by their father to the monastery at Narek where they received religious formation under Ananias of Narek, their maternal great uncle who was the monastery’s founder.
St. Gregory of Narek went on to be ordained as a priest around the year 977 and began teaching theology to others at the monastery in Narek until his death. Little else is known of his life, apart from his writings. Some scholars suggest that Gregory lived a more or less secluded life, while others suggest that he was well aware of current events outside the monastery.
He is most known for his Book of Lamentations, a book of lyrical spiritual prayers that is used daily as a household prayerbook in Armenian families. Speaking about his legacy, Pope Francis said that in the monastery, Gregory of Narek “learned to peer into the depths of the human soul” and that in his spiritual writings he fused “prayer and poetry together.” Narek’s writings have had a powerful influence on all Armenian literature.
After his death, Gregory was buried inside the walls of the monastery at Narek. The monastery was abandoned during the Armenian genocide in 1915 and was later demolished in 1951, with the site subsequently being turned into a mosque.
In 2015, Pope Francis declared St. Gregory of Narek as a Doctor of the Church. The timing of this declaration was intentional and significant. In raising this illustrious saint to the status of Doctor of the Church, Francis both acknowledged his immense contribution to the spirituality of the universal Church and marked the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, during which one and a half million Armenian Christians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed between the spring of 2015 and autumn 2016. On February 2, 2021, Pope Francis also inscribed St. Gregory of Narek as an Optional Memorial in the Roman Calendar.
By declaring St. Gregory a Doctor of the Church and including him in the universal Roman Calendar, the Church is inviting us to rediscover the riches of the Eastern Christian tradition. Speaking to participants of the Jubilee of Oriental Churches, Pope Leo XIV said that “The contribution that the Christian East can offer us today is immense! ... Your traditions of spirituality, ancient yet ever new, are medicinal. In them, the drama of human misery is combined with wonder at God’s mercy, so that our sinfulness does not lead to despair, but opens us to accepting the gracious gift of becoming new creatures who are healed, divinized and raised to the heights of heaven.”
From the writings of
St. Gregory of Narek:
“You are called Shepherd”
O God, I return to you with the same sighs of my imperiled heart, presenting my own words intoned in the same pitch. I seek your compassion, O Giver of all gifts, with my soul in anguish, always in peril, like one who is dead; I turn to you, living and immortal God, while I confess my iniquity before your glory, my evil deeds—by which I am overwhelmed and not comforted, ashamed rather than confident, having abandoned my vow and forgotten the sacred tradition—before your goodness.
The parable that employs the metaphor of the lowly sheep left utterly numbed—lost on a mountain, beyond reach, wandering among ferocious beasts, demons, and monsters, not close in the slightest to the one flock—applies doubly to me. I have no words with which to recount my excruciating pain, no agile hands to communicate like the mute.
Whereas you who alone are praised by those from timeless beginning to the newborn, found me, as the singer of petitions has it, a sinner who wandered off into utter darkness. You are called Shepherd because of your willing, caring oversight. You not only cared but also sought; you not only found, O worker of miracles, but you –who is ineffable in bestowal of love—lifted me upon your life-giving shoulder, you who rank us with the heavenly hosts to become heirs to your Father.
Excerpted from “Prayer 15,” From the Depths of the Heart: Annotated Translation of the Prayers of St. Gregory of Narek by Abraham Terian
From the Editor...
Where did January go? We're just a little over two weeks away from Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18. As Catholics, the 40-day liturgical season of Lent prepares us spiritually for Christ’s death and Resurrection as we turn our hearts and minds to God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Our partners at the Hallow prayer app have prepared some terrific information and free resources — prayers, homilies, scripture reflections, music, Bible in a Year, and much more — for the upcoming Lenten season. You can access it by clicking here. It's easy to sign up and utilize many of these free resources.
As I've mentioned before in this space, the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma is incredibly blessed with not just one, but two, major Catholic hospital systems in our region. Saint Francis Health System, as noted above, has just recently celebrated the completion of two new hospital towers — one in Muskogee and one in south Tulsa.
Now, Ascension St. John Health System is preparing to celebrate a century of care in Tulsa. The Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother opened the original St. John Hospital in 1926. From that beginning, it has grown to 400+ providers and seven area hospitals. Be watching upcoming issues of the EOCextra and Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine for stories and information as we celebrate this 100-year milestone.
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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