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Oklahoma’s Catholic history dates back to 1830, when the first Catholic missionary arrived in the Sooner State. A Jesuit priest from Belgium, Charles Van Quickenborne, operated a mission to the Claremore band of Osage. The first Catholic church in the region came in 1872, when Arkansas priest Michael Smyth encouraged Irish railroad workers to build St. Patrick’s at Atoka.
The first permanently resident Catholic missionaries, two French Benedictine monks, arrived in October 1875 to establish a monastery. Sacred Heart Mission in the Potawatomi Nation was established in May 1877, and from it grew today’s St. Gregory’s Abbey and University.
The Catholic population of Oklahoma grew with the arrival of Italian coal miners, German and Polish farmers, and Irish and Lebanese merchants. Today, 8% of Oklahoma residents are Catholic, over 2 million people, and they are served by a number of beautiful and sacred Catholic sites.
1
Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Oklahoma City
Founded in 1919, the Cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help and has a large, beautiful rose-shaped stained glass window.
With recent substantial renovations to all the buildings and a faithful parish family, Our Lady’s Cathedral continues to thrive as a beautiful Romanesque-style space of daily worship, as well as hosting most of the events of the archdiocese.
2
Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, Oklahoma City
Blessed Stanley Rother, an Oklahoma priest, is the first martyr from the United States and the first U.S.-born priest to be beatified. His Rite of Beatification on Sept. 23, 2017, in downtown Oklahoma City, was attended by more than 20,000 people. You can read more about his inspiring story here.
Inside the 6,000-square-foot Shrine facility, pilgrims will find the museum and gift shop. The museum highlights the story of Blessed Stanley Rother’s life and mission. It features artifacts from every stage of his life and provides information about his martyrdom and beatification.
3
Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey, Hulbert
Nestled among the Ozark mountains stands the breathtaking Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey, a Benedictine community entirely ordered towards contemplation.
It was founded in 1999 from the Abbey of Our Lady of Fontgombault in France and is home to 55 monks, who devote themselves to God alone in the hidden life, in silence and solitude, in constant prayer and willing penance.
Guests are welcome to participate in the monks’ prayers and may stay for a day, a weekend or longer. You can read more about visiting the abbey here.
4
St. Joseph Old Cathedral and Oklahoma City National Memorial, Oklahoma City
Established in 1889, this beautiful and historic cathedral is well worth a visit in its own right, but it holds a special place as home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial directly across the street from it. It was erected to memorialize the lives lost and those forever changed in the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City Alfred P. Murrah Federal building.
The memorial opened in 2001 and is a place of quiet reflection, honoring victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995. The site also includes a museum.
The bombing severely damaged St. Joseph Old Cathedral itself, and the church had to be extensively repaired, while the old parish rectory had to be demolished. A statue entitled “And Jesus Wept” stands in the place of the old rectory.
5
The National Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague, Prague
The National Shrine of The Infant Jesus of Prague welcomes guests and pilgrims to pray, stroll through the Shrine grounds, and visit the gift shop. Located in the heart of Oklahoma, it is a peaceful and spiritually rewarding place to visit.
Bonus Site
Immaculate Conception Church, Pawhuska
Popularly known as “the Cathedral of the Osage,” Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was established in 1887 to serve the Osage Catholics of Pawhuska. The present Gothic-style brick church is the third church on the site and features 22 stained glass windows made in Munich, Germany.
This beautiful and historic church stands as a testimony to the faith and perseverance of the Osage Indians, and to the dedicated missionaries who served them through the years.
And today we celebrate...