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On May 21, the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma (“Diocese”) was made aware of criminal charges filed in Evanston, Illinois, against Kenneth Lewis, who was arrested on May 9, 2018 and is currently free on bond. The charges stem from an allegation of sexual misconduct that took place in 2001 in Evanston, while Lewis was a priest of the Diocese of Tulsa.

In early March, Robert Cardinal Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome, approved a request by Bishop David Konderla to add a memorial for Blessed Father Stanley Rother to the Liturgical Calendar in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. As is the case already in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Little Rock, Father Rother’s optional memorial will be celebrated on July 28, the anniversary date of his martyrdom.

Most Rev. David A. Konderla, Bishop of Tulsa, has made the following priests appointments to take effect on July 2nd, 2018.

Bishop David Konderla celebrated the Rite of Dedication for a new church building during Mass at St. Francis Xavier in Stillwater on Sunday, March 11. He also installed Father Brian O'Brien as the new pastor for the parish at the end of the liturgy.

Because of your Faith & Works donation, the priests, deacons, and lay people in the Prison Ministry of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma are able to effectively minister and evangelize to the incarcerated in prisons throughout the diocese.

The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George have been announced as the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma 2018 nominees for the annual Lumen Christi Award from Catholic Extension.

Your generosity to the annual Faith & Works appeal makes it possible for good men from the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma to participate in the diaconate formation program and supports the men ordained into the permanent diaconate as well as their families.

The Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma has capitalized on a unique opportunity to elevate the entire spiritual life of our local Church by launching a new diocesan theological institute. The Institute, yet to be officially named, will be at the service of the Church in Eastern Oklahoma primarily by teaching and forming our Catholic leaders within our parishes and schools, which will have an exponential effect on our catechesis, discipleship, and evangelization. Some of the areas of support currently being discerned are teaching in the diaconate program, offering ongoing formation for parish catechists, starting a new spiritual direction program, and providing ongoing formation for Catholic school teachers.

As Oklahoma taxpayers and supporters of Catholic school education, I want to make you aware of a wonderful Oklahoma tax credit of 50% (you can receive a 75% state tax credit of your donation amount for a two-year commitment) that benefits Catholic schools in the Diocese of Tulsa including Bishop Kelley High School. GO takes advantage of the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act approved by the state legislature in 2011.

Tulsa, OK, December 12, 2017 -- A leader in the Bartlesville nonprofit community, Mary Martha Outreach, will be joining the fold of Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma in January. Currently in its 19th year of operation, Mary Martha Outreach (MMO) distributes millions of pounds of fresh, quality food and produce to those in need each year.

The Immigrant City. This is how many know Lawrence, Mass., a town in New England with a population of about 80,000. Perhaps the most appropriate name for Lawrence is The Catholic Immigrant City. Not long ago it had 15 Catholic churches, none of which was established to serve Hispanics. Today, the three Catholic parishes left celebrate several Masses in Spanish every week. The transformation took place in about 50 years.

Bishop David Konderla and the Board of Directors of Bishop Kelley High School have appointed Fr. Gary Kastl as the next President of Bishop Kelley High School. Fr. Kastl will begin his new role as the President on December 22, 2017 and will complete his assignment as the pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church on June 29, 2018. With a well-known heart for evangelization and a nationally recognized expertise in organizational leadership, the Board looks forward to working with Fr. Kastl and is excited for the future of Bishop Kelley High School. On behalf of the Diocese as a whole, Bishop Konderla thanks Fr. Kastl for his tremendous leadership at St. Anne Catholic Church.

Catholics throughout the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma joined approximately 20,000 other rallies worldwide to pray the rosary at noon today to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the “Miracle of the Sun,” or “The Day the Sun Danced,” that took place on October 13, 1917 near Fatima, Portugal. The miracle was viewed by 70,000 or more people that day and is reported to have been seen from as far as 25 miles away.

​The “Rooted in Faith, Forward in Hope” capital campaign has just finished its third year and has raised almost $9.5 million of the $15 million pledged. The monies raised in the campaign are being used to strengthen five ministries in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma: the priest retirement fund, seminarian education, rural parishes, the St. Francis of Assisi Tuition Assistance Trust Fund and local parishes by returning a percentage of every dollar given at the parish level.

Beginning with the January, 2018 issue, the EOC will begin accepting advertising for the first time. Bishop David Konderla has extended an invitation to Catholic institutions and Catholic businesses to participate in this unique opportunity. Please see the attached PDF for more information.

When dying at home is not an option, social model hospice homes provide relief to this growing population of individuals. Many times, loved ones are not able to care for dying people on their own, many individuals have no one to fill that role and there are times that family members need a break from providing around-the-clock care for those at the end of their life. Social model hospice homes provide an answer to this growing need. They fill a critical gap which is unmet by state and government funding or private insurance by providing loving care for the dying in the last month of life. While the guest’s hospice program provides necessary medical management, these community-supported homes are an extension of the guest’s home, providing 24-hour physical, spiritual and emotional support to the dying individual and their immediate circle.

Owing all to the grace of God, the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma is blessed with a growing body of deacons who, whether proclaiming the Gospel or caring for the marginalized, carry out their service with fidelity and excellence. For many years, Msgr. Patrick Brankin has directed the efforts of the Diaconate Formation Program, and, as the deacons of this diocese stand as witness, the Church in Eastern Oklahoma owes Msgr. Brankin an immense debt of gratitude for his good work.

Anthony Keiser, the Director of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry, has resigned from his position at the Chancery. His last day will be September 29, 2017. In acknowledgement of the tremendous growth and success of the Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry department, we want to express our deep appreciation for Anthony’s leadership, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Bishop David Konderla has appointed Father Brian O’Brien as Pastor of St. Francis Xavier in Stillwater. Continuing his role as the Associate Director of Vocations, Father O’Brien will complete his assignment as the President of Bishop Kelley High School on December 21, 2017, and will begin his work in Stillwater on January 13, 2018. The love the Bishop Kelley community has for Father O’Brien is a testament to the excellence he brought to all things during his time as President and to the faithful witness of Jesus Christ he gave as a priest. The Diocese joins with the Bishop Kelley High School community in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for his years of dedicated leadership.

OKLAHOMA CITY—Based on reports that the White House will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in six months, we urge President Trump and Members of Congress, specifically the Oklahoma delegation, to pursue legislation that strengthens the program or provides legal status for youth hoping for a brighter future.