e-newsletter companion of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic magazine

Box of Joy Program Gearing Up in Eastern Oklahoma

BROKEN ARROW — Looking for a meaningful service project that engages young people while sharing Christ’s love with children in need? Mitch and Jenn Hentkowski, parishioners at St. Henry in Owasso, have an answer.
Box of Joy is a simple and impactful Catholic ministry that invites families, youth groups, classrooms, and parish communities to fill a gift box with small toys, school supplies, clothing, and other useful items. The boxes are then delivered to children in developing countries, bringing joy, hope, and the message that they are loved by God.
The Hentkowskis and their business, Metal Panels, Inc. already have a long history of working with Cross Catholic Outreach which sponsors the Box of Joy program. So, it seemed a natural fit to also partner with CCO to help bring a greater awareness of the Box of Joy program in eastern Oklahoma. The Council of Catholic Women of Tulsa has been participating with Box of Joy as a service project, as have several individual parishes within the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma.
"This is something we're trying to build," says Mitch Hentkowski. "For people to participate in it, its not very expensive, but the results and rewards are very high. It opens up the Catholic faith through young people around the world."
Hentkowski has offered use of his expansive and modern MPI facility near the Tulsa Port of Catoosa as a drop off point this year. On Saturday, Nov. 14, volunteers will gather there to screen donated boxes and prep for shipping. Hentkowski is seeking to partner with parish youth groups and schools wishing to earn community service hours that day by volunteering for a shift.
CCO describes the work as an easy, faith-filled service project and "a wonderful way to teach young people about generosity, compassion, and missionary discipleship while making a tangible impact on children and families around the world."
MPI has been designated as an official Box of Joy drop-off location — the only one in Oklahoma. See the adjacent schedule for drop-off days and times.
To sign up and bring the joy of Christ to children in need go to: https://www.boxofjoy.org. For more information about local drop off or volunteer opportunities, contact Mitch Hentkowski at: mitch@metalpanelsinc.com

How to Participate in Box of Joy:

Register your parish, school, or ministry at www.boxofjoy.org
Receive your Box of Joy boxes and participant materials.
Pack each box with gifts such as toys, school supplies, clothing, and other approved items.
Include a $9 donation per box to help cover shipping and ministry costs.
Return your filled boxes to your parish collection site or designated drop-off site – Information Attached
Pray for the child who will receive your gift and share in the joy of making a difference in their life

Drop-Off Location:

Metal Panels Inc.

14921 E. Pine Street

Tulsa, OK 74116

Coordinator Mitch Hentkowski

918-641-0641

Drop-Off Dates & Hours:

Monday, Nov. 2 - Friday, Nov. 6:

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 9:

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 10:

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 11:

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 12:

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 13:

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Clear Creek Abbey Breaks Ground on New Construction

HULBERT — Last month, the monks of Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek Abbey officially broke ground on the next phase of construction to complete the Abbatial Church and Monastic Refectory.
Driven by a steady stream of monastic vocations and the growth of the community, the new phase of construction seeks to complete the master architectural plan envisioned by the late Thomas Gordon Smith and completed by William Heyer. Now, after a period of more than three years, construction crews have returned to Clear Creek to complete the Abbey Church and the much-needed south wing which will include additional residence cells, the refectory, and workshops.
"We extend our deepest gratitude to all the benefactors whose generosity and sacrifice have made this work possible: to build something beautiful for God," said Father Abbot Philip Anderson. "This work is a beautiful reminder of the ways in which our monastic community relies on the laity, even as we, in turn, dedicate our lives to work and prayer for the sanctification of the world. The great monasteries of Europe stand today as testaments to the courageous and sacrificial gifts of the men and women who built them. In the same way, the construction to finish our abbey is the work of the whole Church: it is the fruit of the prayers and generosity of so many faithful men and women from around the world."
In his August letter to friends of Clear Creak Abbey, Abbot Anderson stated that Manhattan Construction will oversee the project but several monastic artisans will be engaging their talents, most notably in the areas of woodworking, floor design, metalworking and stone masonry.
"Our monastic carpenter has been tasked with the creation of eleven special doors, using the hardwoods that grow on our property," said. Abbot Anderson. "Our blacksmith shop is already at work forging the great metal strap hinges that will support the oaken doors."
Monks will also be tasked with cutting and installing 56 support beams and constructing a cedar ceiling above a walkway surrounding the central cloister. But the largest woodshop project will be crafting and installing 78 new choir stalls in the abbey church using native black walnut from a local wood mill. The new floor planned for the abbatial church will be designed in a style of geometric mosaic which was developed in Roman churches during the Middle Ages.
"There is still much to be done as we chart the course to the finish line," said Abbot Anderson. "If you have not yet joined us in this historic undertaking, we invite your prayerful discernment of how God might be calling you to accompany us. May Saint Joseph, the patron of work, guide every hand involved in bringing this architectural vision to life."
The construction project is expected to last for the next two to three years. For more information, go to www.clearcreekmonks.org

Images courtesy of Clear Creek Abbey

TOP PHOTO: Project Foreman Colton Roberts of Manhattan Construction, architect William Heyer, and Father Abbot Philip Anderson ceremonially break ground on August 13 for the final phase of construction at Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek Abbey near Hulbert. ABOVE: An architectural rendering shows the planned appearance of the Abbey once the final phase of construction is completed within the next two to three years.

St. Scholastica Chapel in Need of Volunteers for 24/7 Adoration

BROKEN ARROW — The Church of St. Benedict is preparing to expand its Eucharistic Adoration from 90 hours per week to 24-hours a day, seven days a week by January 1, 2027. That lofty goal will require a total of 500 adorers committed to one hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament each week.

"For more than 30 years a great jewel of our parish has been consistent Eucharistic Adoration," says Father Bryan Brooks, pastor of the southside Broken Arrow parish. "It began with a handful of parishioners praying for a few hours a week in a small chapel located next to the confessions."
Six years ago, adoration at the parish expanded with the dedication of the St. Scholastica Chapel located near the main entrance to the church.
"We currently have over 200 parishioners committed each week to an hour of prayer before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament," says Fr. Brooks. "The Chapel is open regularly for Adoration on weekdays and partially on Saturday. The blessings this has brought to us as a parish community have been beyond counting. We have a dedicated sacred space where people can come to spend time with Jesus. There we bring the intentions of our families, parish, nation and the Church before the Lord. It has been a source of tremendous grace."
The goal is to expand Adoration hours from the current 90 hours per week to perpetual — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to Fr. Brooks, that will allow for the chapel to always be open for anyone who wishes to come and spend time with Our Lord in prayer.
"To make this possible, we need to increase the number of committed adorers from just over 200 to at least 500 people," says Fr. Brooks. "Each man, woman and child will have the opportunity of spending time each week with Jesus Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament."
For more information, or to volunteer as an adorer, go to the parish website's Adoration page at www.saintben.com. For additional questions contact Deacon Dick Berberet at 405-742-7538.

St. Scholastica Chapel at Church of St. Benedict

SPECIAL REPORT

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen to be Beatified on September 24

BY RACHEL ESPINOZA/Senior Editor, Faith Catholic

Long before Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year podcast or Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire ministry, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979) was evangelizing U.S. Catholics using radio and television in new and effective ways. His life shines as a striking example of a faithful shepherd with a true missionary heart. This September, his life and legacy will receive even greater attention and honor as the Church declares him Blessed.
Born in El Paso, Ill., Peter John (who later went by his mother’s maiden name, Fulton) Sheen was raised in a faithful Catholic home. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria in September of 1919.
Sheen’s early priestly work took him abroad to complete a doctorate in philosophy at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium in 1923. Upon his return to the United States, he taught theology and philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. from 1927-50.
Beginning in 1930, Sheen hosted a weekly Sunday night radio broadcast called The Catholic Hour. Four million people tuned in weekly to listen to his program for close to two decades. After his appointment as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951, Sheen moved from radio to television, launching a new series titled Life is Worth Living. This show, which aired every Tuesday at 8 p.m., quickly became one of the most popular television shows on air, even winning an Emmy Award for “Most Outstanding Television Personality” in 1953. Life is Worth Living ran for six years and boasted as many as 30 million weekly viewers.
Given those numbers, it’s clear that Catholics weren’t the only viewers tuning in to watch. Life is Worth Living drew a wide audience that included Protestant and Jewish viewers. By addressing eternal truths through everyday experiences, Sheen was able to communicate with people from disparate backgrounds.
Although most well-known for his radio and television programs, Fulton Sheen was a masterful evangelist. In 1950, he was appointed the National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. In this role he raised millions of dollars to support international missions, sharing the faith with people worldwide. He held this role until 1966, before being appointed the bishop of Rochester, N.Y. In 1969, Sheen resigned as bishop of New York and was then appointed a titular archbishop (not connected to a diocese) by Pope Paul VI, giving him the ability to continue his preaching and evangelistic work up until the end of his life.

—

The Mass for the Beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will be held in St. Louis, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 24, with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presiding. Information about the beatification and a schedule of events leading up to and following it (organized by the Diocese of Peoria) can be found at celebratesheen.com.

10th Annual Rosary Run Moving to New Location

TULSA — The 10th annual Rosary Run & Rally, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, is moving to a new location — West Bank Park at 428 W. 28th Street. The event, sponsored by St. Michael Catholic Radio, has previously taken place at LaFortune Park.

The Tulsa Rosary Run & Rally is a Tulsa area community prayer event for families and singles of all ages to come together and pray the Rosary. A 5k Run and 1-mile walk (Mile for Mary) are popular but optional parts of the event which also includes Confession, Mass, a relay race, and community Rosary. The theme of this year’s rally is the Jubilee of Sant Francis of Assisi.
Events will kick off with a special outdoor Mass at 8 a.m. celebrated by Bishop David Konderla and First Saturday devotion.
Everyone is invited to attend the rally for free. Registration for the 5k Run is $30 per person or $65 per family and includes a tee shirt, rosary, race packet, participation medal and food. Registration for the 1-mile walk is $20 per person or $50 per family and includes tee shirt, rosary and food. All runners / walkers are invited to form teams for the relay. Free Rosaries will be available for everyone in attendance.
For more details or to sign up to attend this family fun faith event, visit: www.TulsaRosaryRally.com or scan the QR code below.

USCCB ON LABOR DAY

Be ‘Builders of Communion’

WASHINGTON – This Labor Day, “let us foster an economy that values the God given dignity of each person,” said Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, in a statement released ahead of the federal holiday.
Echoing Pope Leo XIV in Magnifica humanitas, Archbishop Fabre offers the Catholic Church’s fundamental commitment to sacred human dignity as a hopeful vision amidst a challenging economy, further threatened by artificial intelligence which is already impacting the job market.
We must build a just economy for all and “listen to the experiences of workers, families, young people and communities of color as they struggle to find stability,” he says.
He offers encouragement saying, “As new technology reshapes our economy and our work, let us be ‘builders of communion,’ ensuring that innovation and development is for the benefit of all, not just a few, and that each person can contribute to the Kingdom of God through their work.”
The full Labor Day statement is available here (and in Spanish).