WASHINGTON (CNS) — The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, forest fires, hurricanes, wars and other events this year have hit the world’s economies hard, leaving many unemployed and unable to pay for rent and even food.
A centuries old tradition of inspirational Nativity scenes continues to spark devotion and belief in the hearts and souls of those throughout the archdiocese and beyond.
ELK CITY – On a snowy December morning in far western Oklahoma, parishioners braved the elements to join Archbishop Coakley, priests and deacons to celebrate the rich history of Saint Matthew Catholic Church. The Mass marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the parish in 1970.
More than 130 years ago, pioneer Catholic families ventured to the western part of Oklahoma to fashion a better life for their descendants. Their strength of character helped them to endure the harshness of the frontier. Together with that strength of character, and their persistence in their faith through many adverse conditions, they planted the Catholic faith firmly in western Oklahoma.
James Arthur Garvey was born on Dec. 19, 1897, in either Atchison, Kan., or Fargo, N.D., depending on which source someone chooses to believe. Regardless of the location of his nativity, he was raised in El Reno and, thus, firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil.
Residents at Saint Ann Retirement Center in Oklahoma City have embraced the journey of this past year with great joy, enthusiasm and peace, said Richard Amend, mission and community relations director at Saint Ann.
PERRY – The Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma, in partnership with the Bobby Dean Little Trust, presented a Pastoral Music and Fine Arts Grant of $28,652 to Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church to help restore the church’s stained-glass windows.
by Luis Soto, Assistant Executive Director of the Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis
Once upon a time, there was a beggar who would sit every day in the same place in the city and ask for help from passersby. He normally would arrive very early in the morning and not leave until the sun went down. Some days were better than others; sometimes he got small coins and sometimes bigger and more valuable coins.
This is a two-volume set on Catholic Church teaching on morality for seniors in high school. There are 30 chapters all together with 15 chapters per volume. There also are 60 short-form videos that go with the chapters that are found on the website for Augustine Institute – augustineinstitute.org.
WASHINGTON – With more federal executions scheduled in December and January, two bishop chairmen called on the administration to recall God’s mercy during Advent. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement:
You’re home for the holidays, and it’s Christmas Eve. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but before you dive into the eggnog and start exchanging gifts, everyone hops into the minivan and heads off to church.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Marking the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph being declared patron of the universal church, Pope Francis proclaimed a yearlong celebration dedicated to the foster father of Jesus.
Muchísimas cosas están fuera de lo normal este año. La pandemia ha cambiado nuestros puntos de referencia. El año escolar, el ambiente de trabajo, las temporadas de deporte, los viajes, los días festivos pueden cambiar en cualquier momento.