St. Francis Xavier feast day was Dec. 3

SULPHUR – When David Richardson thinks of Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sulphur, a TV jingle from the 1980s comes to mind, “Where everyone knows your name; where everyone is always glad you came.” 

“Our church is so filled with welcome, Christ and the Holy Spirit, you feel the missionary spirit of Saint Francis Xavier, the co-founder of the Jesuits who started churches in India, Japan and China.”

Richardson and his wife, Sarah, are relatively late comers to the parish, but were members of many beautiful faith-filled Catholic communities and cathedrals in the Chicago area before a business relocation brought them to Oklahoma.   

When they arrived in Sulphur, they found a church community that reached out to them and made them feel welcome and warm. They attribute much of this to the pastor, Father Aaron Foshee, and longtime parishioners such as Kathleen Swartz, but most of all, to the Church Secretary Rosalina Aglialoro-Hoyle.

Kathleen Swartz has been attending Saint Francis since 1955. Swartz and her late husband moved from the Philadelphia area. They raised five children in the parish. The children and everyone else in the parish, learned to “do everything for everyone in the parish.” 

She said what makes this parish unique is, “We know each other” and “we have a spirit of fellowship.”  

Aglialoro-Hoyle said, “Whenever there is a need in the church, the laity of the parish simply step forward to help. We have amazing parishioners who volunteer when there is a need. It’s an awesome feeling!”

“Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church truly is a missionary model of Saint Francis Xavier,”  Richardson said.  

Charles Albert is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.

Photo: Parishioners David Richardson and George Hoyle, of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sulphur, designed and constructed new niches for the holy family statues above the altar. Photo provided.