Search
-
June 16, 2022June 11 marked a special day for Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lawton. It commemorated the 120th anniversary of the church, and the church celebrated it with an afternoon of family fun and activities.
“One hundred and 20 years ago this weekend, Bishop Meerschaert, our first bishop, came to Lawton to celebrate a Confirmation Mass. While he was there, he introduced Father Zenon Steber as the first resident pastor of Lawton, establishing Blessed Sacrament as a parish. Over the past 120 years, Blessed Sacrament has had 15 different pastors, many associate pastors and thousands and thousands of parishioners,” said Father John Paul Lewis, pastor, in the weekly bulletin.
“I, for one, have found Blessed Sacrament to have had a tremendous impact on our own life, even before I was assigned as a pastor here. My grandfather, who was stationed at Fort Sill in the late 1950s, was a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament while he was here in the Lawton area. It was also while he was here that he met my grandmother, who was born and raised in Duncan. My grandfather is just one of thousands of people who have made their way through the doors of Blessed Sacrament to be strengthened by the Lord in their mission as disciples. Who knows the impact that this parish has had on the world in the past 120 years, far beyond even the town of Lawton,” Father Lewis said.
“However big or small that impact is, we all can be grateful for the fidelity with which our ancestors followed the Lord, forming this community of believers those many years ago, and handing on that same faith to us, who are blessed to continue this tradition of faith, so that 120 years from now, this community will be even stronger and more faithful to the Lord and his commands.”
Following a specially scheduled 10 a.m. Mass, parishioners and guests gathered in the lawn area for fellowship and to share a meal.
"I think the 120th anniversary is significant because of how the church has affected the community over the past 120 years,” Deacon Robert Quinnett said.
“A lot of people have come through the doors here. The church has been a home to many, many people. Many generations have been affected by the church because it is a transit community because of Fort Sill. People have come here and were affected by hearing the word of God, experiencing family in the parish, and then taking that elsewhere, as they continue to evangelize without even knowing they are evangelizing.”
The Knights of Columbus cooked hamburgers and hotdogs, while the Ladies Auxiliary served hungry parishioners. Food trucks serving free donuts and snow cones added to the event, as children and adults alike lined up for the delicious snacks.
Parishioner Arlene Schonchin, 12, performed the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary prayer in Native American Sign Language. She and her brother, Modesto, also sung a Church hymn in the Comanche language.
In addition to the array of food and snacks, games were available for families to play throughout the afternoon. A cornhole tournament also took place among parish groups and clergy. People brought chairs and sat under the arbors provided by the church.
Jolene Schonchin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Photo: (Above) Fr. John Paul Lewis, left, and Dcn. Howard Harper played in the cornhole tournament. Photos Jolene Schonchin/Sooner Catholic.
Arlene and Modesto Schonchin sang a Church hymn in the Comanche language.
Austin Ehrichs, 11, played cornhole.
Parishioners lined up for free snow cones.
Knights of Columbus members cooked hamburgers and hotdogs.
