One of the signature elements of the “One Church, Many Disciples” campaign is the updating and renovation of the home parish for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City – The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Thanks to the continued generosity of parishioners at the cathedral and those who are participating in the campaign throughout the archdiocese, construction has begun.
For the next five months, architects, artists, millworkers, painters, electricians, carpenters and other skill workers will transform the cathedral into a beautiful beacon of faith, history and hope.
“This project represents who we are as a Catholic people in Oklahoma,” Archbishop Coakley said. “We are blessed to be a diverse community of faithful that is growing and changing. The newly renovated cathedral will help meet these new challenges and honor the holy men and women who have built this community of believers and marked the path for our journey.”
The last major renovations of the cathedral were completed in the late 1970s when the tabernacle was moved, and in 1993 when the baptistry was built and the church was fitted with a new roof and lighting.
The current $3 million project will include a new altar, ambo and reredos that will hold the tabernacle, and a new area dedicated to Blessed Stanley Rother. The original painting of Blessed Stanley that was the center of the tapestry unveiled at the beatification also will hang in the new space.
The parish will fund half of the project through their parish-level campaign, with the archdiocese funding the remaining cost through the overall capital campaign.
To stay updated on campaign projects, go online to archokc.org/campaign.
Diane Clay is editor of the Sooner Catholic.
Renovation elements
Return tabernacle to original position behind the altar;
Add artwork to the triumphal arch that honors the Church in Oklahoma;
Add artwork, other elements to create shrine for Bl. Stanley Rother;