Search
-
November 4, 2020Bishop Eugene McGuinness was a visionary of boundless energy and after 11 years as Bishop of the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, proposed a bold and innovative plan. Experiencing the ignorance and fear of the Catholic Church that many possessed in Oklahoma during the 1950s, he devised “Operation Understanding.”
In a brochure of the day, Bishop McGuinness explained: “Think of the thousands of people who know nothing about the Catholic Church – and no one has ever invited them to learn about it. Many have strange ideas about the Catholic Church – ideas learned from their parents, and no one has ever tried to correct those ideas. This is the objective of Operation Understanding.”
In February 1956, the campaign’s first phase began in earnest. Lay people were trained to canvas neighborhoods in teams of two to invite neighbors to an open house in all the Catholic churches in Oklahoma to be held on March 4. It was hoped as well that “fallen away” Catholics also would attend.
During the open house (the second phase), “they will have the opportunity to see and have explained the usage of baptismal fonts, confessionals, Stations of the Cross, statues, the altar, etc. There will be no attempt made to teach doctrine or beliefs. All questions will be answered, however, and to those visitors wishing additional information about Catholic beliefs, a further invitation will be extended to three follow-up Information Forums.”
Nearly 50,000 people attended throughout the state, with more than 20,000 being Protestants. It was the first attempt at evangelization on a scale of this magnitude. The Southwest Courier, the diocesan newspaper, reported that nothing like this had ever been attempted by the Church in America.
Bishop McGuinness was succinct in reminding Oklahoma Catholics that Operation Understanding was very much a lay endeavor: “Our faith has always required that laymen and laywomen participate in the Apostolic work of the Church. But, here in Oklahoma, where only a small percentage of our people are Catholic, and where our priests are few, our obligation is greater than in many other places.” In fact, 15,000 volunteered to help during the open house phase and countless faithful performed the difficult task of door-to-door evangelization.
As Archbishop Coakley calls Oklahoma Catholics to faithful discipleship, 64 years ago the Church in Oklahoma received a similar mandate from Bishop McGuinness: “I urge you to participate with enthusiasm for here is your chance to be a real Apostle, and I feel sure that the effect of your work will not only save souls for Christ, but will also bring great personal blessings.”
