e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
In Solidarity with Pope, Bishop Leads Holy Hour for Peace
TULSA — In communion with the universal Church, Bishop Konderla led a "Holy Hour for Peace" last Saturday at Holy Family Cathedral, the same day as Pope Leo XIV led a Vigil for Peace at the Vatican.
"We normally have a Holy Hour at that time but this was enhanced by the presence of the Bishop along with readings and prayers for peace," said Father Brian O'Brien, Rector of Holy Family Cathedral.
Bishop Konderla exposed the Eucharist, incensed it and prayed. He then read a scripture passage and preached a short homily. Following the homily, he led the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary during a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration. The Rosary meditations included petitions for:
• Wisdom, counsel and fortitude so that leaders work for justice and mercy
• Protection and safety for members of our military
• Help from the Holy Spirit to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us
• Deliverance for citizens in harm’s way
“Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace,” Bishop Konderla prayed, echoing the words of Pope St. John Paul II. “Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace. May all people on the earth become as brothers and sisters. May longed for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.”
The holy hour ended with the Divine Praises and the hymn “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name.”
USCCB President Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City issued a statement last week leading up to the prayer occasion which took place at many dioceses across the U.S. and the world in solidarity with Pope Leo's call to peacefully resolve the Middle East conflict. The Pope held an evening prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Saturday. A complete story about that event and the Pope's comments is available from Catholic News Service here.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
Bishop Announces Clergy Assignments
BROKEN ARROW — The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma on Friday released Bishop David Konderla's letter announcing several new clergy assignments for 2026.
"Please pray for these priests and deacons as they begin this important transition in their ministry in a spirit of faithful obedience and with gratitude to the faithful for their continued support," said Bishop Konderla in his letter.
The assignments — most of which take effect on July 1 — involve pastors, parochial vicars (associate pastors) as well as deacons who are expected to be ordained into the priesthood in the coming months.
Bishop Konderla's complete letter is posted here at the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma website. The announcements are also posted on diocesan social media accounts including Facebook here. The entire listing of clergy assignments will also be published in the June edition of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine.
St. Francis Xavier Parish in Tulsa Celebrates 100 Years
TULSA — A heavy rainstorm did not deter the faithful from attending a special 100th Anniversary Mass Friday evening as St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church formally marked its founding as Tulsa's fifth oldest parish a century ago.
Most Rev. David Konderla, Bishop of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, celebrated the Mass which was not only attended by numerous priests and deacons from around the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, but also visiting priests from Mexico and El Salvador. As the celebration opened with special music, the church filled to standing room only along the aisles and in the foyer.
Most Rev. David Konderla, Bishop of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, celebrated the Mass which was not only attended by numerous priests and deacons from around the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, but also visiting priests from Mexico and El Salvador. As the celebration opened with special music, the church filled to standing room only along the aisles and in the foyer.
At the end of the Mass, Fr. Elmer Rodriguez, Pastor of St. Franics Xavier, offered his thanks to all those in attendance. "Filled with joy, we give thanks to the Most Holy Trinity in His divine providence for the 100 years of our parish foundation."
The following night, the parish community held a Centennial Celebration Concert with food and live music.
According to diocesan historical records, Bishop Francis Kelley established Saint Francis Xavier in 1926 to be built in the then-rapidly growing neighborhood surrounding Henry Kendall College (later to become the University of Tulsa). An eight-classroom school was constructed and initially served as the church home for several years. The permanent church building, constructed in the California Mission style, was eventually dedicated in 1937.
SFX sponsored the mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe, originally built on Tulsa's east side (Sheridan Road) to serve Mexican coal miners in the area. Our Lady of Guadalupe was later relocated closer to SFX and was eventually merged with SFX in 1992. Since then, the historic parish has experienced significant growth and now regularly holds seven Sunday Masses to accommodate a vibrant Hispanic community.
The parish is home to the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe & Expiatory Temple which celebrated the 75th anniversary of its dedication in 2024. The Diocese will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe as Queen of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma this year.
According to diocesan historical records, Bishop Francis Kelley established Saint Francis Xavier in 1926 to be built in the then-rapidly growing neighborhood surrounding Henry Kendall College (later to become the University of Tulsa). An eight-classroom school was constructed and initially served as the church home for several years. The permanent church building, constructed in the California Mission style, was eventually dedicated in 1937.
SFX sponsored the mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe, originally built on Tulsa's east side (Sheridan Road) to serve Mexican coal miners in the area. Our Lady of Guadalupe was later relocated closer to SFX and was eventually merged with SFX in 1992. Since then, the historic parish has experienced significant growth and now regularly holds seven Sunday Masses to accommodate a vibrant Hispanic community.
The parish is home to the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe & Expiatory Temple which celebrated the 75th anniversary of its dedication in 2024. The Diocese will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe as Queen of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma this year.
EOC Photos by Chris Rush
Benedictine Sisters Break Ground on Future Home Near Skiatook
Most Rev. David Konderla, Bishop of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, officiated the ceremony that included scripture readings, prayer and the singing of hymns under a wind-blown tent. In addition to Bishop Konderla, Sister Julia Marie Roy, OSB, Prioress of St. Joseph Monastery; Sister Marie Therese Long, OSB, former prioress; Mike Joyce, Magnus Advocatus; Mark Nelson, architect; Joe O'Connor, owner's representative; and Joey Little, contractor, all joined the groundbreaking party. After the ceremonial shoveling of earth at the site of new construction that will expand the existing home on the 60-acre property, Bishop Konderla blessed the grounds with the sprinkling of water.
Following the ceremony, attended by approximately 50 supporters, friends, and new neighbors in the area, all those gathered were invited to tour the existing home that will be expanded to meet the needs of the sisters and their mission into the future. Architectural renderings revealed what the completed exapnsion and renovation project will look like.
"We really see this as a re-founding of the community," said Sister Julia Marie. "That's how we've talked about it and thought about it ourselves. It is the opportunity and then the challenge to live our Benedictine life in a new place just like our sisters in the past did."
The sisters have made major transitions throughout their 147-year history.
Originally founded in 1879, three Benedictine sisters began the St. Joseph Monastery in Creston, Iowa. Following the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889, the sisters were invited to begin teaching in a tent city located in what was then called Indian Territory near present-day Guthrie. It became the monastery’s new home three years later.
Following Oklahoma statehood in 1907, the sisters opened and taught in many parish schools in the Guthrie area, including the former Claver College for African-Americans.
Early in the 20th century, Bishop Francis Kelley invited the sisters to open a school in the thriving oil-rich community of Tulsa. In 1926, the sisters opened Monte Cassino School, a boarding and day school for girls, kindergarten through high school. The sisters would eventually relocate from Guthrie to the Tulsa campus in 1955.
After more than a century administering and teaching at Monte Casino, the sisters announced in 2025 that they would transition the governance of the school to its board of directors and seek to relocate.
Since 2010, the sisters have hosted Lectio Divina Retreats with hundreds having experienced the teaching and solitude of the retreat experience. The planned move from midtown Tulsa to the semi-rural setting near Skiatook will allow the sisters to continue their monastic way of life in an environment that supports their mission of prayer and service.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
New Sacred Space Dedicated at Calvary Cemetery
TULSA — Bishop David Konderla blessed a new sacred space, The Garden of Perpetual Light, at Calvary Cemetery on Saturday morning. The dedication ceremony was followed by a reception on the grounds.
Calvary Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery located 9101 S. Harvard Ave. in south Tulsa that provides a wide range of faith-based burial options offering personalized, end-of-life care, memorialization and expert experience in a time of profound grief and change.For more information, click here.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
“Mass (and) prayer is where there is grace and healing. Where I can be intimately alone with God and at the same time, in community with people and with God, the Angels and Saints praying for our salvation, glorifying God, eternally unworthy, but thankful. Mass is where a miracle happens every day for my benefit. I am changed with every Mass. The graces are more than one needs and necessarily overflow onto others, in word, deed and prayer. There is no end to the graces received in Mass.”
"I tried to attend daily Mass often when I was single, but after getting married and starting to have children, life’s busyness made it difficult, and I stopped. A few years ago, I realized that nothing was more important than bringing our children daily to Jesus, so we began attending Mass together. At first, it felt overwhelming — getting kids ready and worrying about disturbing others — but we were welcomed with warmth and encouragement. Daily Mass has since become a cherished part of our routine. Our children have developed a genuine love for the Eucharist and the priesthood, and they understand the Mass far better than when they only attended weekly.
"It has strengthened our family spiritually, reminding us of our purpose, and has become the lifeblood of our home — the source and summit of our lives. This simple, daily practice is a profound blessing for our marriage and family, constantly drawing us closer together on our shared journey toward God.”
"At my very first daily Mass, when the priest elevated the Host, I felt chills through my body and saw goosebumps on my skin. Four years later, God still grants me this grace at every consecration. But even beyond this experience, daily Mass has become an encounter with Christ that transforms my life.
"The beauty of daily Mass is its intimacy. Unlike Sunday, where some attend out of obligation, daily Mass is filled with people who deeply desire to be close to God.”
Christy Mareshie
Parishioner at St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Tulsa
—
“A quote I heard as a teenager stayed with me: ‘Just as sitting daily in the presence of the sun changes you externally, sitting daily in the presence of the Son of Man changes you internally.’"I tried to attend daily Mass often when I was single, but after getting married and starting to have children, life’s busyness made it difficult, and I stopped. A few years ago, I realized that nothing was more important than bringing our children daily to Jesus, so we began attending Mass together. At first, it felt overwhelming — getting kids ready and worrying about disturbing others — but we were welcomed with warmth and encouragement. Daily Mass has since become a cherished part of our routine. Our children have developed a genuine love for the Eucharist and the priesthood, and they understand the Mass far better than when they only attended weekly.
"It has strengthened our family spiritually, reminding us of our purpose, and has become the lifeblood of our home — the source and summit of our lives. This simple, daily practice is a profound blessing for our marriage and family, constantly drawing us closer together on our shared journey toward God.”
Becky Gabryel
Attends daily Mass at St. Cecelia’s in Claremore and Sunday Mass at Holy Family Cathedral
—
“When I first read John, Chapter 6, I realized Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. I asked myself: If the Eucharist is more valuable than a $1billion lottery jackpot, why wouldn’t I receive it every day?"At my very first daily Mass, when the priest elevated the Host, I felt chills through my body and saw goosebumps on my skin. Four years later, God still grants me this grace at every consecration. But even beyond this experience, daily Mass has become an encounter with Christ that transforms my life.
"The beauty of daily Mass is its intimacy. Unlike Sunday, where some attend out of obligation, daily Mass is filled with people who deeply desire to be close to God.”
Loc Ngo, MD
Parishioner at St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Tulsa
EOC Photo by Renata Copsey
The faithful partake in the Eucharist during a Mass celebated by Bishop David Konderla at this year's recent Tulsa Irish Fest. This was the third year that Bishop Konderla has celebrated Mass at the popular festival.
From the Editor...
The growth in Catholic converts nationally this year has been widely reported in Catholic media and has not escaped the eye of secular news outlets including the New York Times and Washington Post. Even CBS's 60 Minutes acknowledged the growth in leading off an interview Sunday night with three American Cardinals.
Locally, this story, "Is converting the newest trend? Tulsa’s Catholic Diocese sees a rise in new converts ahead of Easter weekend," by Libby Hobbs, appeared in the online Tulsa Flyer, a relatively new online news outlet.
There appears to be a greater recognition — a rediscovery perhaps on the part of secular media — of the importance of faith and religion in people's lives. Stories about religion in general, but Catholicism in particular, are becoming more prominent in the public square. For another positive local example of Catholic faith in the news, check out this local story, "St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Tulsa’s first Hispanic parish, celebrates a century," by Angelica Perez, also in the Tulsa Flyer.
And speaking of good news, after hundreds of adult converts were brought into full communion with the Church at Easter Vigils throughout the Diocese last week, dozens of children received their First Communion and Confirmation at St. John Catholic Church in Bartlesville and at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Muskogee this past weekend. This is just the beginning as Bishop Konderla will travel to parishes all over eastern Oklahoma in the coming weeks and months to confirm hundreds more young people into the Church!
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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