From the Archives

In the book “Diary of a Frontier Bishop” by Father James White, he notes the stop made by Bishop Meerschaert to the small town of Syria. Arriving at Aline, since it was the closest railroad stop, on Oct. 20, 1920, to meet with this small community the bishop noted, “Find the whole congregation of the little church for the Blessing of the church. The blessing and then shaking of hands with those good Syrians, and all felt very happy.”

About half of the town of Syria was of Middle Eastern descent, most likely from what is now known as Lebanon. Most Christians from the region are either Catholic or Orthodox, and at the time of visit there were about 12 families. The church was constructed thanks to a gift from the Catholic Church Extension Society and a generous local donor. Father Vander Grinten, who later founded Saint Francis Catholic Church in Oklahoma City, was the pastor from his church in Goltry.

For ten years the mission was effective and maintaining. Trouble began to arise when a series of misconceptions caused unnecessary strife. Most issues occurred when Meerschaert’s successor Francis Kelley made it known that he was profoundly unhappy with the clergy arrangement. 

The community had reached out to an Arabic-speaking priest from Texas to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. The priest did not seek permission to celebrate in the Diocese of Oklahoma. Ironically, the man whose organization he had founded (Catholic Church Extension Society) and had given money to build the church ultimately caused its downfall. The community (most likely Melkite Catholic and comfortable with the Byzantine liturgy of the Orthodox churches) did not appreciate having a line drawn in the sand and promptly joined the Orthodox church in town. This of course signaled the end of the Catholic presence in Syria. It closed in 1931. 

The church was dismantled and sent to nearby Carmen which helped to enlarge the existing structure (a former Methodist church). 

Church history is riddled with failures in understanding cultures that may be different than our own. The people of Syria sought a priest who understood them and celebrated a liturgy that was not Latin but in communion with Rome. Unfortunately, due to improper procedure this small church vanished with the intransigence of both parties to blame.


Photo: Bishop Kelly