Archbishop Coakley celebrates 10 years as Archbishop of Oklahoma City

When the telephone rang in the rectory in Salina, Kan., Bishop Coakley answered, expecting nothing unusual. It was a Tuesday. 

“Bishop Coakley, this is Archbishop Sambi. The Holy Father would like to know if you would accept his appointment as Archbishop of Oklahoma City. … Hello?” 

“It was shocking. When you get a call like that, it takes a while to let it settle in!” Archbishop Coakley said. 

He told the papal nuncio he would do whatever the Holy Father asked of him, but requested a delay in the announcement. His diocese’s first-ever capital campaign was to be announced that week and he only had been to Oklahoma once for a Grateful Dead concert with his college friend, Jim – now Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Neb. He wanted to survey his new home.

“The only thing I knew about the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City was Stanley Rother and the Oklahoma City bombing, so I Googled Oklahoma City and read about MAPS and all of the things happening. I had heard it was a metro city going through a renaissance. It sounded like an exciting place to be.” 

Armed with knowledge of Father Stanley, who he learned about at Mount Saint Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., Bishop Coakley drove to Oklahoma incognito on a Saturday morning. He visited the grave of now Blessed Stanley Rother, stopped by Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Okarche and The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and swung through the parking lot of the Catholic Pastoral Center before heading back to central Kansas. While he was sad to leave his flock in Salina, he was excited to begin this new challenge.

On Dec. 16, 2010, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City held a news conference to announce they had a new archbishop, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley. At age 55, he would become the fourth Archbishop of Oklahoma City and the second youngest archbishop in the United States. 

“This new pastoral responsibility is an opportunity and a challenge that I certainly had not sought, but one which I will eagerly embrace with all my heart. I trust that it is the Lord who has called me here, and so I am confident that he will provide the grace and make fruitful my ministry among you,” he told reporters and staff gathered at the Catholic Pastoral Center.  

Bishop Coakley was installed as archbishop on Feb. 11, 2011, at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond with dozens of priests, seminarians, his family, more than 30 bishops and Archbishop Pietro Sambi in attendance.

“Continue to care diligently for the souls entrusted to you in this archdiocese so that with the succession of the Blessed Peter and all of the apostles you may bring a very great number of people to the glory of heaven. Given at Saint Peter’s on the 16th day of the month of December of the Year of Our Lord 2011, Benedict the XVI, Pope,” Archbishop Sambi read at the installation. “You are called by the Holy Spirit to serve almighty God and the people of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in faith and in love as their shepherd.”  

Archbishop Coakley’s first challenge was to learn the needs and opportunities of the diocese. It became clear a change was happening from new technology to the growing Hispanic population. He would need to adjust staff, focus and mission to prepare for the future. 

His first pastoral letter, “Go Make Disciples,” issued in 2013 laid out the first broad ministry goals – New Evangelization, Hispanic Ministry and Faith Formation. Archbishop Coakley restructured the chancery offices to reflect those goals and to bring ministries together for a teamwork approach that could handle the complex issues facing the archdiocese. 

“I really wanted to become more mission focused and mission driven, which was ultimately what led to the articulation of that vision as ‘Go make disciples.’ It’s the great mandate that Jesus gave to his apostles before he ascended into heaven, and it’s the mission of the Church,” he said. “From the beginning, I experienced a warm sense of welcome from our priests and an eagerness to cooperate with me in my ministry as archbishop. We have a very fine group of priests and deacons.”

Archbishop Coakley created offices for evangelization, communications, stewardship and development, archives, respect life, American Indian Catholic Outreach and Hispanic ministry to help priests and parishes navigate new initiatives. A core senior staff was built to advise him and help guide and inform ministries.

“Reorganization and refocus on mission have really been a big part of my first 10 years. I did not anticipate that we would be so quickly planning a Beatification ceremony and once that was underway, how we would be undertaking the first major archdiocesan capital campaign for parish projects and a shrine for Blessed Stanley.”  

On Dec. 1, 2016, Archbishop Coakley received word from Rome that Pope Francis had cleared the way for the Beatification of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City. It would be the first Beatification for a U.S.-born priest and the first martyr for the United States. 

On Sept. 23, 2017, more than 20,000 faithful filled the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City joined by more than 50 bishops, Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Rother family, and hundreds of priests, deacons and religious men and women from across the country to beatify Father Stanley Rother. The Beatification was carried live on local news stations and was broadcast in hotel lobbies, restaurants and on a large outdoor screen nearby.  

“The thing that brought the most joy and satisfaction in the first 10 years was the Beatification,” Archbishop Coakley said. “I’m also really proud of the staff that we have, the talented lay men and women, priests and deacons, including at Catholic Charities. I’m very proud of the way people responded to the capital campaign and the position that it placed us in to be able to build a shrine for Blessed Stanley Rother and the outreach that will enable us to undertake in the Hispanic community and in all of our parishes.”  

“The most painful challenge has been clergy abuse and having to dig into our own history more deeply. Sitting down with victims face-to-face to hear their stories and express my own sorrow for what they endured, those are uncomfortable things to have to do but they’re necessary.”    

In January 2019, Archbishop Coakley issued his second pastoral letter, “Go Make Disciples! Building a Culture of Conversion and Discipleship for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.” 

“The purpose of this pastoral letter is to refocus the vision and consider what the Lord has been doing in our archdiocese and where the Holy Spirit is leading us over the next few years.”

The pastoral letter and the subsequent mission document, Vision 2030, layout practical and spiritual benchmarks for the archdiocese, parishes, schools, staff and parishioners with the goal of tilling fertile soil where conversion and faith can grow. 

Archbishop Coakley said his goals for the archdiocese for the next 10 years include building on what is already happening across the archdiocese, assessing and adjusting faith formation as needed such as changes to Confirmation, a significant increase in vocations to the priesthood, fostering a culture of vocations for young men and women, securing the future of Catholic schools, and helping people live out their Baptismal call to holiness.  

What are Archbishop Coakley’s personal goals for the next 10 years? 

“Retirement,” he said laughing, “and then heaven.”



Q&A with Archbishop Coakley

How do you make decisions for the archdiocese?
“I pray for guidance every day and I rely on seeking the advice and counsel of trusted collaborators.”

What is something people don’t know about you?
“Most people probably don’t know about my love affair with the Camino.”

What is your favorite junk food?
“I am really not a junk food eater, but if I had to pick, probably peanut M&Ms. They’re lethal.”

What is the most common question you receive from adults?
“What am I supposed to call you?” 

What is the most common question you receive from students?
“They’re always interested in the things they see me wearing. They ask, ‘How did you become archbishop?’”

How often do you pray?
“Constantly. I celebrate Mass every day; pray the Liturgy of the Hours. The first couple of hours every morning are really dedicated to prayer and my evening ends with prayer as well.”

How would you recommend someone start or enhance their prayer life?
“Be intentional and have a structure, a regular rhythm to your prayer. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time, especially if you’re just starting. Spend some time each day reflecting on the readings or pray all or some part of the Liturgy of the Hours, and not to rush through prayer. Learn to be comfortable in silence.”

Diane Clay is editor of the Sooner Catholic.


Archbishop Coakley and chancery staff at the Catholic Pastoral Center. Photo Steve Sisney.