e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
Diocese Prepares for National Consecration to the Sacred Heart
BROKEN ARROW — Parishes around the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma are making plans to join in the consecration of the nation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, 2026. The consecration by U.S. bishops will precede America’s semi quincentennial celebration (250th anniversary) of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.
The Diocese of Tulsa has already been consecrated to all three hearts of the Holy Family, its patrons.
Bishop David Konderla previously consecrated the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 19, 2022, at Holy Family Cathedral. This act placed the diocese under the patronage of the Holy Family, adding to previous consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph.
Previously, Bishop Konderla consecrated the Diocese to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph on March 19, 2021. The late Bishop Edward Slattery, in union with Pope Francis, consecrated the Diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Oct. 13, 2013.Holy Family Cathedral, the mother church of the diocese, will celebrate a special Mass at 5:30 p.m., Thursday June 11, for the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. This will take place the same evening that bishops from around the U.S. consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Bishop Konderla is scheduled to attend the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' gathering in Orlando, Fla. when the occasion takes place.
Other parishes throughout the diocese will also hold observances on or around that date. Please check your local parish bulletin or parish website for more information.
The Diocese of Tulsa has also created a toolkit of materials produced by the USCCB that can be used and adapted for local parish celebrations. Follow the link here to download materials. Or, for more information, follow the link at our diocesan website.
Sacred Heart of Jesus art at Holy Family Cathedral
Origins and Early Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began in the eleventh and twelfth centuries but became more prominent through our Lord’s private revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the seventeenth century.
Between 1673 and 1675, St. Margaret Mary, a nun in the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial, France, received several visions of Jesus. In these visions, Christ revealed his Heart as a symbol of his boundless love for humanity and emphasized the need for people to return his love through devotion and prayer.
The Catholic Church has long promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart. In 1856, Blessed Pope Pius IX extended the Feast of the Sacred Heart to the universal Church, recognizing its profound significance. Pope Leo XIII and Ven. Pope Pius XII further encouraged this devotion through their encyclicals, Annum Sacrum and Haurietis Aquas, respectively. Additionally, Pope St. John Paul II spoke passionately about the Sacred Heart, urging the faithful to embrace this devotion as a means of experiencing the love of God more fully.
This year, 2025, marks the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX formally extending the Feast of the Sacred Heart to the entire Catholic Church. It’s a timely invitation to rediscover this devotion and respond to the love of Christ with renewed fervor.
-From Catholic Answers
Vocations Office Announces Summer Assignments for Seminarians
BROKEN ARROW — The Vocations Office for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma has announced the summer 2026 parish assignments for each of its continuing seminarians.
It was also announced that two seminarians have discerned to discontinue their priestly formation. Noah Drew, parishioner of St. John (OSU-Stillwater) and currently attending Conception Seminary, will withdraw from priestly formation after this current semester. He plans to pursue a career in music. Cortlan Potts, parishioner of St. Benedict in Broken Arrow and currently attending Kenrick/Glennon Seminary, will also withdraw after this semester. He plans to pursue a degree in psychology.
"These men have engaged well in formation and are very grateful for the time and resources they have received, said Fr. Duy Nguyen, Director of Vocations for the Diocese. "Please keep them in your prayers."
Father Duy also provided an update on the recent "Called by Name" initiative which sought recommendations for potential priestly formation candidates from parishioners around the Diocese.
"We have had around 150 names submitted to the Vocations Office," said Fr. Duy. "We will likely receive more names as parishes and parishioners continue to send them in. Thank you so much for your support!"
SEMINARIAN - ASSIGNMENT LOCATION:
Dcn. McClain - Immaculate Conception, Poteau
Jim Southard - St. Mary, Tulsa
Joey Griggs - St. Bernard, Tulsa
Joseph Jones - St. Benedict, Broken Arrow
Luke Tompkins - St. John & St. James, Bartlesville
Sebastian Schlegel - Totus Tuus Missionary
Dcn. Yosten - St. Francis Xavier, Tulsa
Peter Sartorius - St. Benedict, Broken Arrow
Max Williams - Holy Family Cathedral, Tulsa
Joshua Hilger - St. John & St. James, Bartlesville
Michael Kap - St. Bernard, Tulsa
TCMC Announces Saint Joseph the Worker as Patron of Inaugural Event
TULSA — This past Friday, on the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, organizers of the upcoming Tulsa Catholic Men's Conference announced the foster father of Jesus and husband of the Virgin Mary as Patron Saint of the event.
"The Tulsa Catholic Men's Conference is proud to name St. Joseph as our patron saint for this year’s conference," said Joshua Funderburk, TCMC Director. "Under his title as St. Joseph the Worker, we’re reminded that holiness is found in the ordinary — in our work, our responsibilities, and our daily sacrifices."
Funderburk said Saint Jospeh shows men what it means to labor with purpose, provide with love, and serve God with quiet strength.
"With that in mind, we’re excited to reveal this year’s theme: “Go to St. Joseph," said Funderburk. "Men of Tulsa, this is your invitation to turn to St. Joseph as your guide, your example, and your intercessor."
Speakers for this year's inaugural event will be announced in the coming days.
The one-day event will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, at Tulsa's Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center. Ticket price ($79) includes event admission, continental breakfast and lunch buffet. For more information or to register, click here.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen Made 1964 Visit to Tulsa's Holy Family
TULSA — With the greatly anticipated beatification of the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen coming up later this summer, the staff at Holy Family Cathedral did some research to discover if he had ever visited the cathedral.
"We know he came to Tulsa in 1964 for a speaking engagement at the Civic Center," said Father Brian O'Brien, rector of the historic downtown cathedral. "6,500 people were in attendance. A ticket cost $1."
Fr. O'Brien asked HFC Communications Director Michael Malcom to dig into the archives. In addition to documentation of his Tulsa speaking engagement Malcolm also discovered a key piece of evidence confirming that Archbishop Sheen had also visited the cathedral.
"We knew all of that (Tulsa visit) from various archives, but we never had any documentation that he visited the cathedral. Until yesterday!" said Fr. O'Brien in a social media post last week. "A Tulsa World article (see image below) noted that he and Bishop (Victor Joseph) Reed had dinner in the Holy Family Rectory."
According to Fr. O'Brien, Archbishop Sheen's visit to Tulsa makes four saints that are known to have visited Holy Family. They include St. Katherine Drexel in the 1920s, who would have slept in the former convent, or what is now the 4th floor of Holy Family Catholic School, which she founded. Also, Blessed Stanley Rother, who served briefly as an associate pastor at Holy Family in 1965; and St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who attended Mass there twice — on May 11 and 12 of 1976. The 50th anniversary of her visit to Tulsa is later this week.
In the meantime, Malcom is continuing his research at the Diocesan archives and hopes to uncover additional information about Archbishop Fulton Sheen's Tulsa visit.
The Catholic Diocese of Peoria (Ill.) recently announced a roster of events for the beatification of Archbishop Sheen including Beatification Mass planned in St. Louis, Mo. on Sept. 24.
"The Beatification of Archbishop Sheen is a recognition of a life lived in heroic virtue—a life that brought countless souls closer to Jesus Christ through preaching, teaching, and witness," said the Diocese of Peoria in a news release. "For many, he was a familiar voice on television and radio; for all of us, he remains a powerful example of what it means to live the Gospel with clarity, courage, and love. This celebration is not simply about honoring his legacy — it is an invitation for each of us to deepen our own relationship with Christ."
St. Joseph in Krebs Works to Restore Historic Church Rectory
KREBS — A committee of dedicated volunteers is seeking to raise funds to repair and restore the historic rectory at St Joseph Catholic Church.
Built in 1905, the Victorian style rectory was designated an Historic Landmark on Jan. 21, 2025 by the City of Krebs. But after 120 years, owing to age, wear, and disrepair, the rectory needs extensive renovation. The parish grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 2023 Preservation Oklahoma Inc. listed the church rectory as one of "Oklahoma's Most Endangered Places."
The restoration project's mission is to preserve and sustain the historic rectory for current and future parishioners. The two-story structure is adequate space for a priest to live permanently while also being able to provide visiting clergy or laypeople a place for overnight stays. Local committee members are also hoping that the historic site will continue to promote and foster the spiritual work which enables culture, harmony, and peace in the community.
"For the past few years, we have been reaching out to our closest friends and partners. We are very pleased as we approach May 2026, that we have surpassed the 33% mark of our original objective of $250,000. Now with our direct outreach to members of the parish and the work underway in the community-at-large, we are confident that by year's end our campaign will see great success."
Committee members include Amelia London, chair; Peggy Bowman Defrange, treasurer; Tricia Frasher, secretary; Deacon Stephen Dunbar; Karen Scarpitti; David Prescott; Duke Salinas; Adrian O'Hanlon; and Michael W. Cathey, certified fundraising executive.
"Our renovation committee is continuing forward with our fundraising phase. If you have already contributed, thank you!" the committee stated in a recent social media post. "Please consider giving again if you're able. Consider making your contribution in memory of a loved one."
Donations to the project can be made by clicking here.
Photos courtesy of St Joseph Catholic Church
Meet a Seminarian
From the Editor...
This week, May 4-8, is Teacher Appreciation Week. Give a teacher you know, whether in Catholic Education, public or private, a much-needed word of encouragement this week. And most of all, remember educators in your prayers as this 2025-26 academic year begins to wind down.
This Saturday, Our Lady of Clear Creek Monastery near Hulbert will be the site of a Symposium and Birthday Party for Servant of God Empress Zita, hosted by the American Foundation of the Cause for the Beatification of Empress Zita. The morning will begin with Pontifical High Mass celebrated by the Right Reverend Dom Philip Anderson, Abbot of Clear Creek. The symposium will include international guest speakers Monsieur Fabbe Jacques Olivier, FSSP; HIRH Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine, daughter of Empress Zita; and HIRH Princess Xenia Galitzine de Matta, granddaughter of Empress Zita. To purchase tickets to the symposium, click here.
It's not too early to begin planning to attend Bishop Konderla's Seminarian Education Dinner on Wednesday, August 5. This year's event will be held 6-9 p.m. at Southern Hills Country Club. For more information, or to register for the dinner, click here.
And finally, I am compelled to share this spectacular photo of workers having topped out scaffolding for the 251-foot main spire at Holy Family Cathedral last week. The extensive roof replacement project at the Mother Church of the Diocese has met with some setbacks and delays but is back on track. Your prayers for the workers' safety is much appreciated. In the meantime, enjoy this unique perspective of downtown Tulsa from above the cathedral!
Until next week, thanks for reading!
Chris Rush
Editor
Photo courtesy of Holy Family Cathedral
"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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