Our Lady’s Cathedral emerged amid risk, rose in splendor

Bishop Theophile Meerschaert crafted an early 20th-century vision for a new church on Oklahoma City’s north side, an effort designed to meet the needs of Catholics as the population began to grow and spread.

Then he plucked a young and talented priest, Father Albert Monnot, who was serving the outposts of Hooker and Guymon, to make it work. Known for making his rounds in the parishes on his motorcycle, Fr. Monnot’s energy and vision would be imperative to conquer the task that had been bestowed upon him.

He was more than up to the task.

On the Jan. 16, 1919, the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was canonically erected. As more than a century passed and many changes occurred, the parish became a cathedral – the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Our Lady’s, as it is known, has aged quite well, fit for a 100-year anniversary celebration scheduled for Oct. 13 and highlighted by a 4 p.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop Coakley.

At the time, construction of a new parish was a risk. A worthwhile risk, it turns out.

Building a new, significantly larger church than Saint Joseph’s Cathedral on the northern-most reaches of the city was not without some stress and consternation. Covering 80 square miles as its parish boundaries, would there be enough people to populate the church? If so, could they absorb the cost of construction? With the growth of Oklahoma City and the difficulty of Catholics to attend Mass – only two churches existed, Sacred Heart and Saint Joseph – it seemed to be the only logical and correct solution.

Father Tom Boyer, a past rector, had this insight: “The cathedral is a strong statement about ‘We’re here.’ We may be few in numbers, but we’re here. It was always a place for the center of Catholicism when Catholics were few in numbers.” 

In 1924, Catholics made up 3% of the population in Oklahoma and the post-war version of the Ku Klux Klan was in its heyday.

While the number of original families who attended the parish is unclear, it is generally held that 68 families constituted the initial membership. Seeking a location for Mass to be celebrated, Mr. Rowe (first name unknown) volunteered his automobile dealership on Classen Boulevard.

The first Mass was held on March 9 and continued to meet until May 11, when Rowe leased the property to another tenant. Working frantically, the men of the parish built a makeshift wooden structure. Functional but primitive. Altar boys came on Saturday mornings to pull the weeds coming through the cracks in the floor to make kneeling a bit less penitential.

Official construction on Our Lady’s School commenced in June of 1919, a site that would also serve as the church in those early years. The first Mass took place in the chapel of the school in November. Planning for the church building began in earnest and on July 3, 1923, the work started. It was, however, not without challenges. On Sept. 18, tornadic winds wreaked havoc and twisted steel that would be the bell tower into a jumbled mass. It took a month to straighten the steel. A veritable monsoon descended and rain fell daily for two weeks. No progress could be made.

Despite numerous setbacks, the last stone was laid in February 1924. Sadly, Bishop Meerschaert would not live to see his glorious new church dedicated, as he died on Feb. 24. Francis Clement Kelley, the founder of the Catholic Church Extension Society headquartered in Chicago, was named as the new Bishop of Oklahoma when the diocese covered the entire state. The dedication was set for Oct. 16, the day after his installation at Saint Joseph Cathedral. George Cardinal Mundelein who had come to install Bishop Kelley – he was consecrated a bishop in Chicago –  consented to remain an extra day to perform the ceremony.

Throughout the 1920s the parish and school grew at a rapid rate. After surveying the needs of the diocese, Bishop Kelley petitioned Rome in 1930 to change the name of the Diocese of Oklahoma to the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Consequently, Tulsa’s Holy Family Church become the co-cathedral and Our Lady’s became the cathedral in Oklahoma City replacing Saint Joseph which would be referred to as the “Old Cathedral. The canonical reading of the papal bull took place on Feb. 8, 1931, making it official.

Art and Architecture

Since its inception, the cathedral has been renowned for its beauty.

Catholicism relishes beauty as it seen as a gift from God and the architects were keenly aware of this truth. Father Monnot’s brother, an architect, designed Our Lady’s. When first opened in 1924, due to financial constraints it was not a particularly ornate church for the time. However, the stained glass windows lent an air of sacredness that compensated for the lack of decoration.

Designed by Emil Frei of St. Louis, they depict the life of the Blessed Mother and the clerestory windows symbolize the Litany of Loretto, an ancient Marian devotion.

Perhaps the most stunning window is the rose window that illustrates the mysteries of the Rosary. The Young Ladies Sodality sold chances to win a new Ford automobile as a fund raiser. H.D. Driscoll won the car and promptly sold it, gave the money to the church and added his own capital to finance the window. Such generosity and kindness became a hallmark of Our Lady’s.

In 1947, the church was finally consecrated as canon law required the debt be paid in order to facilitate the act. It was in the same year that the first of several renovations took place. The original main altar now resides in Purcell and was replaced with a marble altar that was used until 2019. A wooden baldacchino now was placed over the altar and half of it would later be used in the Blessed Sacrament chapel (the bell tower) on the north side during yet another renovation in 1975.

The 1947 changes made for a sleeker more modern style. After the Second Vatican Council, the altar was moved down, the altar rail removed, the Blessed Sacrament moved and the episcopal throne was placed directly behind the altar in the apse.

Two more major alterations were to come. In 1993, Father Boyer began the Renaissance project to repair and beautify the church as well as expanding Connor Center, the school, a new baptistry and a gym for the school children. It was a major undertaking that prepared the parish for the new century.

The most recent iteration was completed in 2019 as part of the capital campaign in the archdiocese. The result is the beautiful edifice that has made the grand Lady on Lake Street her most stunning in her 100-year history. 

Liturgy and Music

From the beginning, the importance of quality liturgical music to enhance the Mass has been valued and maintained. Since the “Organ Grinders,” a group that first raised money for an organ in 1924, excellence became the norm. With the arrival of Father George Kroupa in 1940, an Austrian refugee fleeing Hitler, it was said that he elevated chant to a new level. Trained in the Cathedral Choir School in Vienna, he immediately activated a mens and boys choir. He continued in this capacity until his order assigned elsewhere in 1964. 

Due to the magnificent design of Monnot, the acoustics are perfect for choral music and the reputation for fine music reached new heights with the arrival of organist Oliver Douberly in the 1980s. It continues today with a student of Douberly’s, Nolan Reilly who brings a wealth of talent as well as impeccable taste to the role of director of music. 

Welcoming Vietnamese Refugees

A critical turning point in the life of the parish came in 1975. With the fall of Saigon, Vietnamese refugees began to reach Oklahoma City with 30 families settling in Our Lady’s parish. Father Can Dinh served the community until 1980 when Father Anthony Bao would be appointed associate pastor. An extremely bright and capable cleric, Father Bao would continue his service at the Cathedral until 1996, shaping and molding an ever-growing congregation. A few years later Father Thanh Nguyen became the associate pastor, a position he has held until this day.

In typical fashion, the parish rose to the occasion to provide services and support to assist the refugees.

The Vietnamese community has enlivened the parish and given a glimpse into a beautiful and faithful culture. The appreciation of the richness of their devotion to the Blessed Mother and traditions has been a blessing to the entire church. Currently, approximately half of the parish is of Vietnamese descent.

“Their kindness and faithfulness touched my heart,” Father John Metzinger, the seventh rector of the cathedral, said of his experience with the Vietnamese Cathedral community.

The Clergy

Throughout its long history, the cathedral had been blessed with visionary clerics who nurtured the parish through economic depression, a world war and the winds of change after Vatican II.

The first and founding pastor of the cathedral was Father Monnot, who would later be monsignor. Kind, charming and respected in the civic community, he was also famous for his astounding memory recalling names with an accuracy that was uncanny. He is the only priest to serve as rector of both cathedrals in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. 

Upon Monsignor Monnot’s resignation in 1932, a young assistant to Bishop Kelley, John Mason Connor took over the operation of the parish. So competent and skilled was he that Kelly named him rector in 1937, the youngest in the country. He was bestowed the honor of monsignor in 1939. Monsignor Connor retired the debt in 1947 and went on to serve the place he dearly loved until his retirement in 1969, 37 years after he arrived.

Father Phil Bryce was next and oversaw the liturgical changes after the Council. He also served as vicar general for the archdiocese. It was during his tenure that the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa became the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa in February 1973.

Succeeding Father Bryce was Father William Eichhoff. One of his associates, Father Phil Creider said of his contribution: “Father Eichhoff was a very competent priest. He was a priest through and through. His work was always for others, not for himself.”

Under his astute guidance, the parish flourished. He laid the groundwork for the ultra-gifted Thomas Boyer’s work previously mentioned.

Father Edward Weisenburger’s attributes were manifold. Exceptionally intelligent, articulate, and capable, it was obvious he was destined for bigger things. When Bishop Paul Coakley of Salina, Kansas, was named as archbishop of Oklahoma City, (now Monsignor) Weisenburger would be named his successor in a highly unusual move. After five years in Salina he was installed as Bishop of Tucson, where he remains.

Father Metzinger would direct the latest renovation, which entailed extensive painting and stenciling as well as the history of the Church in Oklahoma across the great arch. The last person on the arch would be Blessed Stanley Rother, who was ordained on May 25, 1963, in the cathedral.

Father Rick Stansbury with his love of the liturgy and boundless energy, has brought his own unique style as the latest rector. A skilled administrator, “Father Rick” continues to leave his mark upon The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The Parishioners

What is apparent to all who have served, clergy and lay people alike, is that the spirit of the place continually calls you home. Marjory Feighny who gave 35 years of service to the parish said, “The families make up the parish. The faith shared keeps it alive.”

At the heart of this venerable old building, is the sacramental life of the parish. The sense of the sacred is immediately present upon entrance. The echoes of hundreds of baptisms, confirmations, weddings, first communions, and of course funerals are palpable. All the faithful who shared the joys and sorrows of life and entered between these hallowed walls are in some way present.

Since she is the Mother Church for the archdiocese, all Catholics of the diocese belong in a very real sense to her, where the chair of the archbishop resides. It is his church and it is our church.

George Rigazzi is the former archivist for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and a parishioner at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.


‘In Oklahoma I feel this is the place God reached down and left his fingerprint’
Most Reverend Edward Weisenburger 
Bishop of Tucson and former Rector of The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
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Our Lady’s Cathedral being built 1919. Photos Avery Holt and Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Archives.