e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
A Family Affair: Father Matthew McClain Ordained to the Priesthood
"Most Reverend Father, Holy Mother Church asks you to ordain this man, our brother, to the responsibility of the priesthood," announced Very Rev. Fr. Duy Nguyen, Director of Vocations for the Diocese.
"Father Duy, do you know him to be worthy?" replied Bishop Konderla.
"After inquiry among the Christian people and upon the recommendation of those concerned with his formation I testify that he has been found worthy," responded Fr. Duy.
"Relying on the help of the Lord God and of our Savior Jesus Christ we choose this our brother for the Order of the Priesthood," proclaimed Bishop Konderla. At that moment Rev. McClain turned to face a host of family members, friends and will wishers in attendance and accepted their warm applause.
Beginning his homily, Bishop Konderla joked, "Your uncle will be very happy that we called you Stephen."
Father McClain, who goes by Matthew, is the nephew of recently retired priest Father Stephen Austin. His aunt, Sister Barbara Austin, O.S.B., is a Benedictine Sister at St. Joseph Monastery in Tulsa. Several other extended family members were in attendance Friday evening.
"My uncle, Father Steve Austin, was a priest, and he was also my godfather. So, ever since I was a little kid and being an altar server I always kind of thought about the priesthood," said Fr. McClain in a previously recorded video interview for Eastern Oklahoma Catholic.
"On behalf of the Diocese I want to thank Matthew's family and friends and all those who have played a role in the development of his faith life and in his priestly formation," said Bishop Konderla continuing his remarks. "You give him to us as a gift, and we thank you for his vocation. In a special way, I want to welcome the brother priests who are here in a tangible sign of the fraternity that you joined today. In his providence, God has brought us together from many different places to serve the people of God in this local Church. And with our prayers and our fraternal presence and concern, we support each other, and now we support you, Matthew."
Father McClain celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving, his first as a priest of the Diocese, at his home parish, St. John Before the Latin Gate in Bartlesville, on Saturday morning.
Father McClain graduated Dec. 5, 2025, from the St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana with a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained a Deacon on Dec. 19, 2025. Since that time, he has served as a transitional deacon alongside Rev. Sean O'Brien at Immaculate Conception in Poteau, St. Joseph in Stigler, and St. Elizabeth in Spiro. Following his priestly ordination. Effective July 1, Rev. McClain will serve as parochial vicar for the parish cluster which will now also include Sacred Heart Mission in Heavener.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
Parishioners' Manufacturing Business Thriving, Serving Those in Need
Mitch's personal history — from a child raised in difficult economic circumstances to an extremely successful business entrepreneur — is in itself a remarkable story. But it is the couple's deep Catholic faith and response to God's calling to aid the poor which truly sets their business apart.
The couple gave Bishop David Konderla a personal tour of their sprawling manufacturing facility in northeast Tulsa last week. The 2-acre plant transforms giant rolls of coiled metal — some weighing as much as 18,000 pounds — into a variety of fabricated sheet metal siding and roofing materials. Their daughter and future son in law also work at the family business.
Driven by a desire to serve the poor, they have also become heavily involved with Cross Catholic Outreach by donating thousands of pounds of siding and roofing materials to communities in need — primarily in Central America, but also most recently in Africa. Hentkowski purchased the business in 2005 and recalls telling his former boss and owner about his future plans.
"As the business started to grow, I told him, just flippantly, 'my dream job is I want to be a professional philanthropist, and I want to build homes in Central America,'" says Hentkowski. "So, when the business finally started getting profitable in 2013, 14, and 15, I started actually donating to build homes in Central America."
That passion to aid truly impoverished regions moved to an even higher level in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation of Haiti in 2016. After initially being daunted by the scope of the logistics involved in getting donated sheet-metal roofing panels to port, God's providence smiled and Hentkowski was able to partner with Cross Catholic Outreach to handle the intricacies of international shipping.
"We had some material that we were going to produce and I started calling vendors and suppliers and saying, 'hey this is what I'm doing, have you got any metal that you could donate'?" recalls Hentkowski. "We ended up sending two truckloads in November of 2016. Right now, we are working on loads 101, 102, 103, and 104."
CCO partners with bishops, priests, religious and lay workers to provide food, water, housing, education, orphan support, medical care, microenterprise and disaster relief — and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ — to the poorest of the poor in over 30 countries around the world. The couple have also recently become invloved with CCO's Box of Joy program and are looking to expand its footprint here in Tulsa. Meanwhile, their business was recently named the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce 2026 Small Business Manufacturer of The Year.
For more about Mitch and Jenni Hentkowski's story, watch for an expanded feature in the September issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine.
EOC Photos
St. Henry (Owasso) parishioners Mitch and Jenni Hentkowski host Bishop David Konderla for a tour of the MPI manufacturing facility.
Survey: Deacons Continue to Bring Spirit of Renewal, Encouragement to Missionary Ministry of the Church
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations has released its annual survey, A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2025: A Study for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Since 2005, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University has conducted this survey, which provides important statistics and forecasting trends on the state of the permanent diaconate in the Church in the United States. Among the statistics compiled, the report found:
Responding dioceses with the lowest number of Catholics per permanent deacon included: Diocese of Lexington (500), Diocese of Rapid City (552), Diocese of Tulsa (650), Diocese of Duluth (693), and Diocese of Bismarck (713).
“Deacons continue to bring a spirit of renewal and encouragement to the missionary ministry of the Church through their service in the liturgy and works of charity expressed in everyday life,” said Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “With nearly 15,000 active deacons in ministry in 2025, the permanent diaconate plays a vital role in bringing the Gospel to life through their witness as icons of Christ the Servant. With their primary duty of service in the Church being to proclaim the Gospel, preach, and perform charitable works, deacons serve a unique and vital ministry in the life of the Church. This annual survey is an opportunity for our faithful to recognize the work of the diaconate, pray for our deacons, and also discern if they are called to such ministry themselves.”
The survey utilized contact information from the National Association of Diaconate Directors (NADD) and was sent to the Office of the Permanent Diaconate in the Latin and Eastern Rite (arch)dioceses and eparchies. In total, CARA received responses from 143 of the 185 (arch)dioceses/eparchies whose bishops are members of the USCCB and have an active Office of Deacons, for a 77% response rate.
The full survey conducted by CARA may be accessed here.
Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of St. John of the Lakes to Celebrate 1st Anniversary at St. Thomas More
TULSA — The first anniversary celebration of the Diocesan Marian Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos (St. John of the Lakes) will take place the week of August 6-14 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church.
As Fr. Jose Maria Briones, pastor of the predominantly Hispanic east Tulsa parish — the largest by weekly Mass attendance in the state of Oklahoma — explained in a recent post on the church's Facebook page, the construction project suffered from delays and missed its original completion date.
"Effectively, we put it in the hands of God," said Fr. Briones.
The post continued, "God’s timing is perfect, even though sometimes our own plans don’t seem to line up with His will. There were moments of uncertainty and apparent frustration during the construction of our Sanctuary, but the faith of our community and the wise counsel of my bishop brothers reminded us of what is truly important: to put everything in the Lord’s hands."
Today, the Shrine of Our Lady of St. John of the Lakes is a beautiful reality — a sacred space built with patience and devotion to receive everyone. The celebration schedule is as follows:
Novena to Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos
August 6–14, 2026
Rosary each evening at 6 p.m.
August 15, 2026
Solemn Mass at 7 p.m.
Procession with the image of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos immediately following Mass
Former Tulsa Educator Celebrating Jubilee
TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA — A Sister of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, with ties to the Diocese of Tulsa, is celebrating a Jubilee this year.
Sister Mary Lou Ruck, formerly Sister Mary Lucian, is a native of Evanston, Illinois. Currently, she ministers as a volunteer for Providence Health Care at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Sister Mary Lou entered the Congregation on Feb. 2, 1951, from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Wilmette, Illinois. She professed first vows on August 15, 1953, and final vows on August 15, 1958. Sister Mary Lou is celebrating 75 years with the Congregation this year.
During her time in the Diocese of Tulsa, Sister Mary Lou ministered as a teacher at Immaculate Conception in Tulsa from 1963-65. Sister Mary Lou also ministered in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City as well as in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky.
The Sisters of Providence, a congregation of nearly 200 women religious, with more than 300 Providence Associates, collaborate with others to create a more just and hope-filled world through prayer, education, service and advocacy.
July Saint of the Month:
St. Sharbel Makhlūf
1828–98 | Feast: July 24
BY RACHEL ESPINOZA/Senior editor/FAITH Catholic
St. Sharbel (Youseff Makhlūf) was born on May 8, 1828 to a poor Maronite Catholic family in Bekaa Kafra, Lebanon. From a young age, Sharbel showed strong devotion to the faith, often bringing candles and flowers to a nearby shrine dedicated to Our Lady. As a young adult, he traveled four hours to visit two uncles in the monastery of St. Antonios Kozhaya. He soon followed in their footsteps. He entered the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya at age 23, taking the name Sharbel, after an ancient Antiochian martyr. Sharbel took monastic vows in 1853 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1859. After ordination, Sharbel was sent to a nearby monastery, where he dedicated himself to Christ through prayer, work, and silence. He worked the land – harvesting crops for his community– celebrated Mass and spent long hours praying. Many were drawn to the witness of this holy monk, and sought out his blessing and prayers. As Pope Leo XIV remarked while visiting St. Sharbel’s tomb in Dec. 2025, many went to him to “receive comfort, forgiveness and advice from the Lord.”
In 1875, St. Sharbel received permission to live as a hermit in the Hermitage of Sts. Peter and Paul near the Monastery of St. Maron, where he remained until his death. As a hermit, he lived in near-complete seclusion, devoting himself to intense prayer and penance for the next 23 years. At the request of his superiors, he occasionally left the hermitage to celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments in the surrounding villages.
St. Sharbel died on Christmas Eve in 1898. Because of the holiness of his life and the countless miraculous healings attributed to his intercession, Sharbel was canonized in 1977 by Pope Paul VI. His tomb remains a popular pilgrimage site, with thousands coming from all over the world to spend a day in prayer and to ask for his intercession.
“In a world largely fascinated with riches and comfort, [St. Sharbel] helps us understand the paramount value of poverty, penance, and asceticism to liberate the soul in its ascent to God.” (Pope Paul VI, at the Mass for the beatification of St. Sharbel)
St. Sharbel Makhlūf, pray for us!
From the Editor...
We lost a deacon but gained a priest.
The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma ordained former transitional Deacon Matthew McClain to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ on Friday evening at Holy Family Cathedral. It's an exciting time for Father McClain, his family, and the parishioners he will continue to serve as Parochial Vicar alongside Pastor Fr. Sean O'Brien in Poteau, Stigler, Spiro and Heavener.
Exciting things are happening within vocations for the Diocese. Currently six new Seminarians are slated to enter the priestly formation program this Fall. On the Diaconate side, 17 men are currently in the latter stages of formation and nearly 40 men have expressed a desire to be included in the next cohort.
Today (Feast of Saints Peter and Paul) marks the tenth anniversary of Bishop David Konderla's installation as Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. The Chancery office celebrated the milestone with a lunch gathering last week. Our Communications Department presented him with a hardbound photo book with images throughtout the past 10 years of his episcopacy. See our cover story in the June issue of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic. The entire Diocese is invited to celebrate at a special Mass planned for 5 p.m., August 9, at Holy Family Cathedral.
Our Chancery offices will be closed this Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day. This year's July Fourth celebration is magnified with it being the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding. We hope you enjoy all the associated festivities and have a safe and happy holiday weekend with friends and family.
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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