e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
Bishop Invites Faithful to Corpus Christi Procession on June 4
TULSA - Bishop David Konderla is inviting all faithful of the diocese to participate in the annual Corpus Christi Procession on the evening of June 4.
"On Thursday evening, June 4th, the faithful from parishes throughout the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma are invited to join in observing the Feast of Corpus Christi with a public procession in Tulsa to honor the gift that Jesus Christ has given us in the Eucharist — the source and summit of our Christian life," said Bishop Konderla in a video invitation posted here.
The evening will begin with a 6 p.m. Mass at the Parish of Christ the King, followed immediately by the procession which will travel west on 15th Street (Cherry Street) before proceeding north on Boulder Avenue and arriving at Holy Family Cathedral in downtown at approximately 8:30 p.m.
"I invite all priests, deacons, religious, and lay faithful of the diocese to join me at 6 p.m. Thursday, June the 4th, for Mass at the Parish of Christ the King, after which our Eucharistic Procession will begin at 7 p.m. and culminate at Holy Family Cathedral in downtown Tulsa," said Bishop Konderla. "I hope you can all come."
Free parking will be provided at Holy Family Cathedral and shuttles to Christ the King will begin at 4:30 p.m. The Mass will also be live-streamed to the CTK parish hall and gymnasium for overflow crowd. As in the past, multiple dance troupes will join in the procession. Parish groups are encouraged to carpool to the event and bring their parish banners for display during the Eucharistic Procession.
For more information, watch for further details at our diocesan website, on our social media, and in your parish bulletin.
U.S. Bishops to Consecrate Nation to Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11
BROKEN ARROW — As the United States of America prepared to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma joins this celebration by lifting up the contributions of Catholics and the impact of our faith on the history of this country.
In an historic moment, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, 2026, and invite all parishes to join in this consecration.
"On Nov. 11, last year, the bishops of the United States voted to consecrate this nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus," writes Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, Chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty for United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"The consecration will take place on June 11, 2026 to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial, that is, the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence," said Archbishop Sample. He explaines the reasons behind the consecration at this time.
"Devotion to the Sacred Heart has developed over the centuries following the experiences of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the apparitions she witnessed in the seventeenth century. Popes have lauded the practice of consecration of the self, home, and even whole nations to the Sacred Heart," writes Archbishop Sample. "With his encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis brought devotion to the Sacred Heart to the forefront of our contemporary Catholic life and culture."
"This anniversary and consecration will be a great opportunity to promote the beautiful devotion to the Sacred Heart and to encourage the laity to offer their lives in service to God and their country."
The USCCB has produced resources for use in dioceses and parishes to encourage celebration of the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The resource is a guide for celebration within a Mass or within the celebration of a Liturgy of the Word and can be found by following the link here.
The Diocese has also created a toolkit of additional materials produced by the USCCB that can be used and adapted for local parish celebrations. Follow the link here to download additional materials which include Catholic Activities, Handouts, Novena (June 3-11), Prayer Cards, and more.
For more information, see the link at our diocesan website here, or contact the Communications Department at communications@diocseseoftulsa.org.
Servant of God Empress Zita Symposium, May 9, at Clear Creek
HULBERT — The American Foundation of the Cause for the Beatification of Empress Zita will host a Symposium on the life of Servant of God, Empress Zita on May 9, 2026 at Our Lady of Clear Creek Monastery. A similar event was also held in 2023.
The day will begin with Pontifical High Mass celebrated by the Right Reverend Dom Philip Anderson, Abbot of Clear Creek Monastery. As always, the Mass is open to the public.
The symposium, beginning at 11:30 a.m., will feature international speakers to discuss the Cause for the Beatification of Empress Zita. Speakers will include Father Abbot Anderson; Monsieur Fabbe Jacques Olivier - FSSP, Official Postulator of the cause for SG Empress Zita (Greux, France); HIRH Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine, granddaughter of SG Empress Zita and Blessed Emperor Karl; and HIRH Princess Xenia Galitzine de Matta, great-granddaughter of SG Empress Zita and Blessed Emperor Karl.
A catered meal will be served by the Clear Creek Guild.
To purchase tickets for the symposium go to the website EmpressZitaCause.com.
Read Father Abbot Anderson’s words about Empress Zita in his letter “Humble Nobility."
ABOUT SG EMPRESS ZITA
Zita of Bourbon-Parma was the last Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She married Archduke Karl in 1911 (pictured above) and became Empress in 1916 when her husband ascended the throne.
Following the empire's collapse in 1918, the family was exiled to Madeira, where Karl (aka Charles) died in 1922. Zita, widowed at 30, spent the next 67 years in exile in Spain, Belgium, Canada, and the United States, while raising eight children.
Known for her deep faith, she supported her husband's peace efforts during WWI and navigated decades of exile and poverty. Her life was defined by strict Catholic principles, intense personal prayer, and a devotion to the Sacred Heart. She was known for her charity work, and, despite immense hardship, she maintained her dignity and duty to her family.
She died on March 14, 1989, in Switzerland at age 96 and was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.
In 2008, her cause for beatification was opened. She was declared Servant of God by Pope Benedict XVI.
SG Empress Zita (1892–1989)
Dr. Scott Hahn Talks of Salvation Story in Stained Glass at Stillwater
STILLWATER — Approximately 350 faithful gathered Saturday morning at St. Francis Catholic Church to hear well-known Catholic theologian and author Dr. Scott Hahn present a two-part talk about salvation history and how it is to be portrayed in the church's stained glass windows.
Following an early morning Mass at 7 a.m., Dr. Hahn began his fist talk at 8 a.m. describing how the salvation story has been etched in stained glass and other visual arts — statuary, paintings, etc. — for millennia within the Catholic tradition.
As he began is first talk, "Genesis to Jesus," Dr. Hahn said, "I'd like us to share in something more than a biblical moment. I'd like it to be an amazing moment as we report upon why God gave us His Word through the law of the prophets, and why that Word became flesh."
Addressing the theme of one his books — A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture — Dr. Hahn explored the 'covenant love' God reveals through the Scriptures, and explained how God patiently reaches out to restore mankind into relationship with his divine Family.
The Stillwater parish's master plan is to visually trace the essential Salvation story from Creation to Resurrection and beyond as it installs newly created stained glass windows over the next few years. The parish is actively engaged in fundraising efforts to complete the project. To donate, visit sfxstillwater.org/online-giving.
"So these windows are not decorations," says Fr. Lawrence Nwachukwu, pastor of the church. "They tell us a lot about salvation in Christ Jesus."
Entirely funded by the generosity of the people of Payne County, the third St. Francis Xavier Church in Stillwater was dedicated on March 11, 2018 by Bishop David Konderla. The $22 million facility incorporates a beautiful church, parish offices, spacious parish hall, school building, youth room, gymnasium, and an outdoor playground on 20 acres of land donated by the Heid Family.
An exceptionally popular speaker and teacher, Dr. Hahn has spoken nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics related to Scripture and Catholic theology. His talks have been effective in helping thousands embrace the faith. In 2001, Scott Hahn founded the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology with the mission of helping Catholics read Scripture from the heart of the Church.
Photo courtesy Rob Ponce/St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Couples Attend Semi-Annual Worldwide Marriage Encounter
"We do this worldwide marriage encounter weekend twice a year," says Fr. Carlos Loaiza, pastor of St. Francis DeSales Church, Idabel. "We are delighted to have successfully hosted another weekend of Worldwide Marriage Encounter in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma."
In addition to Fr. Loaiza, the Spanish language event was attended Father Adrian Meneses, Parochial Vicar of Saint Pius X in Tulsa.
The mission of Worldwide Marriage Encounter is to proclaim the value of Marriage and Holy Orders in the Church and in the world. Established in 1968, Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) is the largest faith-based marriage enrichment organization in the world, annually presenting 2,000 experiences in nearly 100 countries. In North America, more than 1,600 couples and priests — known as “presenting teams” — hold Marriage Encounter experiences in English, Spanish, French, and Korean. WWME’s support groups exist in virtually every diocese of the US and Canada.
Father Carlos Loaiza expressed his gratitude to all the couples who offered their support and time to ensure that the weekend was a success.
"We pray for the couples who participated in this weekend, that they may continue to renew their love and grow together in the love of God.
Meet a Seminarian
From the Editor...
If you’ve been putting off creating a will, now may be the time to act. Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma is hosting a free Will & Estate Planning Seminar, presented by Blake Atkins, from 9-10:30 a.m. this Thursday, April 30, at Church of the Madalene in midtown Tulsa. The event is free and open to the public.
Atkins is a tax and estate attorney, a parishioner at Christ the King, and serves on the board of Catholic Charities. He is not taking clients but rather offering his expertise to share important guidance with the Catholic community. Sign up today by clicking here.
Shout out to local Catholic filmmaker Manny Marquez on receiving the Meritorious Service Award from the Department of the Navy and the United States Marine Corps this past weekend at the Circle Cinema. The award was a surprise to the Marquez who was there to sign movie posters of his recent work, "Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen." The award-winning documentary follows his brother Anthony Marquez — a U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran — as he travels the nation seeking healing along with the Gold Star Families of 17 fallen comrades.
To read more about Marquez's award, click here. From all of us here at the Chancery Communications Department, hearty congratulations go out to Manny! The award is much deserved.
The Thomistic institute at the University of Tulsa will present a lecture by Sr. Anna Wray, O.P., of the Catholic University of America at 6 p.m. this Thursday at TU's Helmerich Hall - OneOK Auditorium. Sr. Wray's lecture is titled, "Musical Dependence: What's Behind It & How We Can Move Beyond It." The event is free and open to the public and no preregistration is required. For more information, click here.
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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