Holy Spirit Catholic Church celebrates dedication Mass

MUSTANG – Parishioners, community members and builders gathered Aug. 21 to celebrate the long-awaited dedication of the new church building of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Mustang.

Archbishop Coakley celebrated Mass along with Archbishop Emeritus Eusebius Beltran; Bishop Thomas Zinkula, of Davenport, Iowa; Father William Novak, vicar general; Father Joseph Jacobi, pastor of Holy Spirit; and Father James Greiner, a retired former pastor of Holy Spirit. They were joined by several other priests and deacons, including deacons serving at Holy Spirit:  Dcns. Paul Lewis, Bill Hough and George Leal. 

Deacon Lewis presented Archbishop Coakley with the keys and plans of the church building. 

"For more than a year, we have anticipated this day when we could fill this church and celebrate this dedication Mass. We are most grateful for your kindness and pastoral concern in allowing the delay in the Mass due to the pandemic, and yet, in the meantime, allowing us to use this church building for the celebration of the Eucharist,” he said. 

“In many ways, the challenges of the past year have been a metaphor for the challenges we have faced as a parish in the ultimate construction of this church building.” 

Parishioners started raising funds in the mid-1980s leading up to an initial capital campaign in 2010, another in 2016, culminating with the "One Church, Many Disciples" campaign in 2018, which produced the funds needed to move forward with the building project. Finally, on May 20, 2018, members old and new witnessed the groundbreaking of the church. 

The first Mass in the new church building was celebrated on the Vigil of Pentecost in 2020. The completion of the new church building was fortuitous, providing ample space for parishioners to continue to physically distance themselves while continuing to worship in person during the pandemic. 

“My goal all along was not so much the building, but the building up of the ‘living stones’ of the Church,” Father Jacobi said.

Father Jacobi said seeing the light and joy in people’s faces over a beautiful place they helped build and a sense of accomplishment, with God’s help, has defined what this process has meant to him. 

Father Jacobi became pastor of Holy Spirit in 2014. Under his leadership, plans developed for a space that would house 700 parishioners with the option to expand in the future as Holy Spirit continues to grow. 

“I’m excited for the people here who have been here a long time and worked on it a long time,” Father Jacobi said. “That has been a blessing for me to see people come together on so many different levels, in so many different ways, to work toward raising up this holy place. For me, that has been the greater blessing.”

Holy Spirit was gifted several pieces from various churches within the archdiocese. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help donated the Altar of Sacrifice, Ambo, Altar of Repose, and Presider's Chair. Immaculate Conception Catholic Church donated the Tabernacle, Sanctuary Lamp and Stations of the Cross. 

"I've been waiting for this for a long time, so it's wonderful to finally see this taking place and be able to be in the new church," said Jane Mondt, one of the founding members of the parish. 

Mondt, who attended one of the first masses held in the funeral parlor in July of 1983, also was a member of the Master Planning Committee. 

"I've had so many comments from people saying how beautiful this is. It's so heartwarming to get to this point finally." 

George Schwartz and his wife, Mary, helped secure land for the parish to build the Family Life Center. A member for more than 35 years, Schwartz has witnessed the growth of the parish and the struggles to get a new church built. 

Several parishioners helped with the project. 

Hermilo Franco used his background in construction to benefit the design and construction process.  

“It is an achievement, a milestone for sure, and a dream come true for many people,” he said. 

"Father Jacobi is such a great leader. Being a member of different committees around the church, I have noticed how generous people in the church are and can't help but feel proud of being in this community."

Eliana Tedrow is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.

Photos Avery Holt/Sooner Catholic.