e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine
Diocese Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Our Lady's Coronation
TULSA — For those arriving after 5:30 p.m., it was probably already too late to find a seat for the 6 p.m. Mass at Holy Family Cathedral on Friday night as Bishop David Konderla celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Our Lady's Coronation as Queen of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma.
Following the overflow Mass at the cathedral, thousands more, including a record 17 dance troupes — defying the summer heat which hit over 100 degrees that day — took part in the solemn procession to the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Expiatory Temple at St. Francis Xavier Church in Tulsa.
Twenty years earlier, on August 13, 2006, Bishop Konderla's predecessor, the late Bishop Edward Slattery, led a similar procession after the Virgin Mary's coronation as Queen of the Diocese. Just as then, parishioners brought images and statues of Marian devotion or of their patron saints and united to honor the Blessed Mother. The joyful anniversary celebration also included the Holy Child of Atocha from Plateros, Mexico, a treasured image of devotion that toured parishes around the Diocese last week.
In his homily Bishop Konderla stressed that the best way to show devotion to God, to Jesus Christ and His Mother, and to the saints, is to take care of the poor.
"We have to first take care of those in need. We have to first look around our communities, our households, our schools, our families to see there are people who need help," said Bishop Konderla. "We have to take care of the people. That's how we honor the Lord best."
As the Mass concluded, a large crowd was already assembling outside on Boulder Avenue to participate in the 2.6-mile procession to the Diocesan Shrine. They arrived well after darkness had fallen and the cherished image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was safely returned to its home parish.
In a statement posted at the Santuario Diocesano Gualalupano Facebook page, Father Elmer Rodriguez, pastor of Saint Francis Xavier and the organizer of the 20th anniversary celebration, expressed his gratitude:
"Very happy and grateful to God for having lived such a special moment, the 20th anniversary of the coronation of our Most Holy Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was a great blessing to have the beautiful presence of the Holy Child of Atocha, who accompanied us in this very significant celebration, along with the Rector Juan Diego Chávez, who visited us from Plateros, Zacatecas, Mexico. A day full of faith, joy, devotion, and many blessings that will remain forever in our hearts."
In 2031 the Church in the Americas will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Saint Juan Diego in 1531.
EOC Photos by Daniel McCay
Parish Support Team Hosts National Partners for Fall Planning
BROKEN ARROW — The Parish Support Team at the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma hosted members of Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) and other national partners at the Chancery last Tuesday for a series of meetings and consultations on the progress of the Next Generation Parish (NGP) and other initiatives.
In 2023, several parishes in the Diocese of Tulsa embarked on the Next Generation Parish journey with CLI. The NGP journey consists of four main phases over the course of three years. Each phase has a specific purpose and pace that contributes to the success of the process.
"As Bishop Konderla continues to provide support to parishes through the Next Generation Parish offering, members of the Catholic Leadership Institute, Communio, Evangelical Catholic joined the Diocesan Parish Support Team to plan for the fall support of parishes," said Father Gary Kastl, Vicar General for the Diocese. "Next Generation Parish supports pastors and their teams in strategic planning as well as support for evangelization and marriage and family enrichment in parishes. We are thankful for the partnership with these apostolates made possible through a local foundation."
The Parish Support Team has worked closely with CLI during the NGP process and with other partner organizations at several parishes across the Diocese.
"This gathering between Catholic Leadership Institute, Communio, Evangelical Catholic and the Parish Support Team discussed the Next Generation Parish offering in support of Bishop’s pastoral letter, Jesus is Lord, and the addendum, Come Holy Spirit, so that every parish in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma will become evangelization hubs proclaiming Jesus is Lord," said Sarah Jameson, Director of Parish Support.
The Parish Support team works closely with parishes, families and other entities within the Diocese in their work of handing on and cultivating the Catholic faith in the lives of children, youth and adults. For more information, click here.
To read more about Next Generation Parish program's impact in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, click here.
EOC Photo by Daniel McCay
Representatives of Catholic Leadership Institute, Communio, Evangelical Catholic and the local Parish Support Team gathered at the Chancery offices for a day of meetings, including a morning Mass celebrated by Father Gary Kastl last Tuesday.
Order of Acolyte
Candidates in the current cohort for the Permanent Diaconate were installed in the Ministry of Acolyte Thursday night at Holy Family Cathedral by Bishop David Konderla. The Order of Acolyte is one of the final milestones for the 17 men who are nearing completion of their formation prior to their expected ordination in 2027.
EOC Photo by Daniel McCay
Frather Elkin Gonzalez, pastor of the Parish of Christ the King in Tulsa, addresses those gathered last Tuesday evening for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the $22.6 milliion expansion and renovation of Marquette School.
Marquette Breaks Ground on $22.6M Expansion Project
TULSA — In sweltering heat, Bishop David Konderla joined Parish of Christ the King Pastor Fr. Elkin Gonzalez, Marquette School staff, as well as parents, students and parishioners last week to ceremonially break ground on an eagerly anticipated school expansion and renovation project.
Following an evening Mass at the historic midtown Tulsa parish in which Bishop Konderla consecrated a new altar (see story below), Tuesday evening's groundbreaking ceremony was the culmination of the Believe Capital Campaign. With a fundraising goal of $22.6 million, the campaign — the largest in the school's history — has raised $22.1 million so far and is headed by Campaign Co-Chairs Blake and Mandy Atkins. The funds will provide for school expansion, classroom renovation, new RISE (Religious Inclusive Student Education), resource rooms, new administrative offices, and ADA compliance.
"I want to acknowledge every donor, every benefactor that we have for this great project," said Father Gonzalez in his comments prior to the groundbreaking. "It doesn't matter how small or how big the gift has been. It contributes to the realization of this wonderful vision that God has sent to us."A representative of Nabholz Construction, the project's general contractor, said work will begin immediately and take approximately 15-16 months to complete. Tulsa-based GH2 Architects designed the project (see renderings below).
"This project represents an extraordinary investment in our campus, but what we are building is about far more than bricks and mortar," said Marquette Principal Jay Luetkemeyer. "We are creating spaces where children will discover their gifts."
Bishop Konderla offered a prayer of blessing for the project. Then he, along with Fr. Gonzalez, Principal Luetkemeyer, and other dignitaries, donned hard hats and took up silver bladed shovels to ceremonially turn soil from boxes that had been placed in the school parking lot where construction will take place.
Offering preschool through eighth grade, Marquette School and the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) are directed by lay administrators working under the supervision of the pastor and administration of the Parish of Christ the King. The more-than-100-year-old school was expecting an enrollment of just under 500 students for the fall semester which began last Wednesday.
Bishop Consecrates New Altar at Parish of Christ the King
TULSA — Last Tuesday evening, Bishop David Konderla and Fr. Elkin Gonzalez joined the parish community of Christ the King to consecrate a new altar — marking the culmination of a multi-year journey to restore the historic architecturally significant sanctuary to its original design and liturgical intent.
A longstanding Catholic tradition, new altars are consecrated through a multi-step liturgical rite performed by a bishop. The consecration takes place before the first Mass is celebrated, officially setting the altar apart for the Eucharistic sacrifice.
According to parish leaders, the recent work in the sanctuary at Christ the King represents a refocus that honors the church's original architecture while bringing its historic elements together in a more unified way. Drawing from historical notes and references to noted architects Barry Byrne and Bruce Goff, particular attention was given to the importance and visual focus of the Tabernacle within the sanctuary.
The face of the original altar has been reinstated in the forward-facing altar, using orange marble framed in green and topped with Verde marble. The orange symbolizes sacrifice, warmth, and the light of faith, while the green represents hope, renewal, and eternal life. The limestone provides a strong and enduring foundation while connecting the new work to the historic stone throughout the church.
The original Tabernacle remains in its place of honor. Its altar was designed to complement the main altar, but parish leaders intentionally did not include marble inlays so that attention remains focused on the Tabernacle itself. This continues the liturgical intent reflected in the work of Byrne and Goff.
On the side where the ambo originally stood, the church installed the Gospel altar, drawing inspiration from the Goff design reflected in the Mary and Joseph altars.
The process to construct the new altar took approximately three weeks to complete during which time daily Mass was held in the nearby Marquette School gymnasium.
For a history of the parish and its unique architecture, click here.
Back to School...
TULSA — Several more Catholic schools within the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma kicked off their academic year as students returned to classroom learning last week. Below is a sampling of photos from local schools. Do you see your school? Send us your first day/week back to school photos at: communications@dioceseoftulsa.org
Marquette
Holy Family Classical
School of Saint Mary
All Saints
From the Editor...
Whew! What a week in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma! With so many meaningful and even historic local happenings, it almost seemed to this observer that everything was happening everywhere, all at once.
Of course, we can't be everywhere all at once (although we do try) so we are especially grateful to the communications teams and volunteers at our area parishes to help keep us informed and for so many of the beautiful first day/week of school photos submitted to us. What we published here today is merely a sampling. There's a lot more to see on individual school and/or parish Facebook pages. We hope to have a few more to show next week as well.
If you missed it, Bishop Kelley High School's "Kiss Your Mom" tradition for arriving freshman was documented by TV journalist Steve Hartman (On The Road) and shown on the CBS News national broadcast on Friday night, and again on CBS Sunday Morning show. You can watch it here.
Congratulations to the Parish of Christ the King and Marquette School as their multimillion-dollar fundraising effort is nearly complete and the school expansion and renovation project is beginning (see story above). Its more evidence of the growth happening within our Catholic community.
I had the opportunity to attend Friday night's Mass celebrating the 20th anniversary of Our Lady's Coronation as Queen of the Diocese at Holy Family Cathedral. It was a truly beautiful worship experience. Although I did not participate in the Solemn Procession afterwards (64-year-old bum knee is my excuse) our Multimedia Manager Daniel McCay (he's a spry young fellow) captured dozens of great images along the way. Look for additional photos of this historic event on our social media pages.
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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