From the Archives

The history of Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Okeene is one of persistence and dedication. Bishop Meerschaert dedicated the first church in May of 1900. The photograph reveals the dedication of the bell in 1903.
 
This structure was destroyed by a tornado in 1905, rebuilt and another storm leveled it in the same year. Another tornado damaged it again in 1907. Undaunted, a parish school was built in 1909 and served by the Benedictine sisters from Guthrie.
 
The first priests to serve the community were Benedictines from Sacred Heart Abbey. Growth came with the arrival of two railroads in 1901. Due to this growth and no doubt with more than a little trepidation about wooden structures, the present brick building was constructed in 1921 at a cost of $65,000.
 
It is an architectural gem enhanced by the unique decorating skills of long-time pastor Monsignor Paul Van Dorpe (1938-1969). Designed to teach lessons about the faith, it includes a pulpit shaped like the prow of a fishing boat replete with nets and a life preserver bearing the words “S.S. Peter.” An outdoor grotto dedicated to Our Lady, bore the inscription “Hail holy Queen, pray for Okeene.”
 
In 1955, the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa issued histories of the parishes in honor of the 50 ^th Jubilee of its founding. This observation from that publication still resonates: “Saint Anthony’s steady progress in the face of disappointment and many natural disasters is surely a vindicating inspiration of the church and her divinely militant mission on earth.”