SPECIAL GUEST COLUMN:

Bishop's Leadership Shows Concern and Care for Flock

BY FATHER GARY KASTL/Vicar General

  For the past couple of months, we have been in one continuous celebration of the Bishop’s 10th anniversary as our local ordinary — occasions that have put the spotlight on his ministry and his character and have given him so much extroverted love that he could hardly handle it.
  If you know Bishop well, that was supposed to be a joke. Bishop does not like being in the spotlight.
  There’s an old saying: “Don’t tell me what you value. Let me walk with you for a week, and I’ll tell you what you value.”
  Bishop Konderla, we, the Diocese, have been walking with you for the past 10 years, and it has become clear what you value. It was clear from day one: your consistent care and concern for the poor, the marginalized, and those on the fringes. By choosing to hold your opening press conference at Catholic Charities, you signaled to us what would be important to you.
  Your consistent support for Catholic Charities, the countless Masses you have celebrated for those who are in prison — even on death row where an inmate will soon be executed — and the simple way you live your quiet life have shown us your value for simplicity and your care for others.
  I believe I can say, on behalf of all of our priests and deacons, that you also care deeply for us. Your leadership style is one of concern and care rather than authority and fear. Your desire to invest in us, listen to us, and always make decisions that will affect us through due consultation and collaboration shows your respect for the communal work that we do and, in turn, brings joy to our obedience to you as our father and as our bishop.
  You have given us two pastoral letters and strategic plans over these past 10 years: God Builds a House and Jesus Is Lord — visions born out of your own prayer and experience in this diocese, plans that have at their heart the care of souls. What is clear in each of these plans is your desire for every soul within your boundaries to come to know Jesus personally and deeply; for marriages and families to be centered on Christ; and for every single parish in the diocese to flourish, no matter how big or small it may be.
  Your love for the faithful and your desire to be with them are clearly measured by the numbers on the odometer of your truck.
  When I became Vicar General, we spoke about the scope of my work, and you more or less said to me that I can do most things that you do — or most things that fall under your care — except being you.
  In other words, you are our shepherd, and only the shepherd can be out with the flock. All the other things that make the diocese run and flourish can be shared through the mutual leadership of a strong staff that surrounds you. Your humble trust in so many of us who work closely with you allows you to be out and about — to preach, to shepherd, and to guide the flock that has been entrusted to your care.
  I wish to address Bishop’s family, who have driven up from Texas in such great numbers to surprise him on this momentous occasion. Your brother loves you, and we love your brother. It is clear that he roots so much of who he is in the example of your parents and in these beautiful relationships with his brothers and sisters, his nieces, and his nephews.
  I can tell you from my experience last night: the Konderla family is a force. We are so honored by your presence here and by the sacrifices that you make while your brother serves in the foreign land of Oklahoma.
  Bishop Konderla, cheers to ten years. We pray that we keep you for ten more.
God bless you.

EOC Photo by Daniel McCay

Bishop's Dinner Raises $300K in Support of 17 Seminarians 

 TULSA — A record crowd of 340 clergy, religious, donors, family, and friends gathered Tuesday evening at Southern Hills Country Club to show their support for 17 seminarians from the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma as they prepare to begin another academic year.
  The Bishop's Annual Seminarian Dinner raises much needed support from the community to cover the full costs of tuition, room, and board for each seminarian during the entirety of his seven-year formation. This year's fundraising goal was $300,000.
  Two seminarians were selected to present short testimonials of their experiences.
  Luke Tompkins, who begins his third year at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Mo., formerly studied chemical engineering at Oklahoma State University. He credits the Catholic community at OSU for his encounter with Jesus Christ on a deeper level.
  "Both through the sacraments that Father Kerry Wakulich offered to the community,
and through the abundant life that was around the St. John Catholic Student Center,"
he said his discernment for the priesthood has been a "slow and intense" process of purification in his life.
  "But in the Church's wisdom, she knows that everything good comes from a slow and intense process," Tompkins told the audience. "You allow me to undergo this often slow and intense process in order to, God willing, one day become a priest of Jesus Christ. And I'm really grateful for you doing that."
  Joseph Jones, a native of Bartlesville, is preparing to begin his senior year at Conception Seminary in Missouri in Philosophy. He said his former pastor, Father John O'Neill, first approached him about the possibility of pursuing the priesthood. It was then that he began a process of discernment.
  "The reason I am here is because of you, the benefactors who have generously given me the opportunity to grow to who God wills me to be," said Jones. "Of course, I'm still a work in progress, as we all are, but I never would have reached this point if benefactors hadn't paid my tuition by giving to the diocese and I certainly wouldn't if you hadn't prayed for me. Your prayers have helped form me in ways unknown
and yet nonetheless powerful."
  Father Duy Nguyen, Vocations Director for the Diocese, said this year's Called by Name initiative provided 280 names of young men from around the Diocese to potentially discern a call to the priesthood.
  "And every one of those names, those men, received a personal phone call from one of our seminarians or from our office," said Fr. Duy. "Every phone call is an opportunity for young men to hear that God has a beautiful plan for God. Whatever the response might be, we want these men to know that the church, the vocational office, is willing to work with them as they discern their vocation."
  In his closing remarks Bishop David Konderla related his own experience of discernment.
  "When I was 20 years old, my pastor asked me in a very direct way about becoming a priest, and I said no. And then when I was 25, I went to seminary. So 'no' is just the first step to a 'yes.' God has time on his side," Bishop Konderla told the audience. "I want to thank all of you for the gift of faith that you live and that you share with your families every day. This room, to me, feels like a family. This event each year is growing, and I think it's growing because of that. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us in the Diocese to form such a strong family throughout eastern Oklahoma."

EOC Photo by Daniel McCay

Bishop David Konderla and Father Duy Nguyen, Director of Vocations, are pictured with seminarians of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma at the 2026 Bishop's Seminarian Dinner at Southern Hills Country Club.

Saint Francis Hospital Named Best in Oklahoma by National Publication 

  TULSA — For the 10th consecutive year, Saint Francis Hospital has been named the No. 1 hospital in Oklahoma by U.S. News & World Report, earning high-performing ratings in 15 procedures and conditions. The hospital was also recognized as a Best Regional Hospital for Community Access.
   Saint Francis Hospital South was recognized as the No. 2 Hospital in Tulsa and No. 3 hospital in Oklahoma, earning high-performing ratings in seven categories.
  “These recognitions are a testament to the dedication our caregivers show every day,” said Brenda Nance, vice president of quality for Saint Francis Health System. “As a health system rooted in eastern Oklahoma, we are proud to provide high-quality care that meets the needs of the communities we call home. Our commitment remains focused on ensuring access to the advanced care our communities need while continuing to uphold the highest standards of quality and safety.”
  U.S. News ranks hospitals in 14 specialties and evaluates 23 common procedures and conditions. Saint Francis Hospital earned high-performing ratings in multiple categories.
  The 2026-27 Best Hospitals list evaluated more than 4,600 hospitals nationwide, with 16 percent achieving at least one high-ranking designation. Only 73 hospitals earned the Best Regional Hospital for Community Access designation. Hospitals were assessed based on risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications, level of nursing care and other quality measures.

EOC Photos by Renata Copsey and Daniel McCay

Photo Courtesy of St. Catherine School

Father Robert Cin Lam Kim, pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in west Tulsa, leads young students in worship at St. Catherine School in west Tulsa on the first day of school.