Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine

OKLAHOMA CITY – Archbishop Paul Coakley broke ground Sunday, Nov. 3, for the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in south Oklahoma City. He was joined by Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, Archbishop Emeritus Eusebius Beltran, Tulsa Bishop David Konderla, Little Rock Bishop Anthony Taylor, Abbot Lawrence Stasyszen and nearly 2,000 priests, deacons and lay faithful.

During the ceremony, Archbishop Coakley blessed the cornerstone of the shrine and the ground where the future main altar will be located. He then processed with the bishops and priests to bless the area where Blessed Stanley Rother will be entombed in the chapel. 

“What we are about the construct here we are building for the honor and glory of God whose goodness, whose holiness, whose faithfulness, whose mercy shown through the life of Father Stanley Rother,” Archbishop Coakley said during his homily. “It is God who we glorify as God reveals himself in the lives of his holy ones. We do all of this as we do all things for the glory of God and for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The $40 million shrine at S.E. 89 and Shields Boulevard is the signature element of the first-ever capital campaign for the archdiocese, “One Church, Many Disciples.” The site will include a 2,000-seat church, a chapel where Blessed Stanley Rother (ROW-ther) will be entombed, an education building, an event space and several areas designated for shrines and devotion. The site will be developed over time.

“Today was the groundbreaking for the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in South OKC!” Mayor Holt posted. “This is a very ambitious project honoring an amazing person, and I can’t wait to come back for the dedication!” 

Along with the Spanish colonial-style church – which will be the largest Catholic Church in Oklahoma – an additional element will be a museum and pilgrim center, which will be an additional $5 million. The center will welcome thousands of visitors each year to an experience that leads them through the life, witness and martyrdom of Blessed Stanley.

The church will host many large diocesan events and will help accommodate the growing Hispanic population whose parishes are significantly overcrowded.

The design architect for the project is Franck & Lohsen Architects in Washington D.C. They are supported by local architectural firm ADG. The general contractor is The Boldt Company in Oklahoma City with Cooper Project Advisors serving as the owner’s representative.

To learn more about the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine or to watch a video of the groundbreaking ceremony, go online to archokc.org/shrine.

To honor Oklahoma’s native son, the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine will serve as his final resting place. The Shrine will include a 2,000-seat church, chapel for devotional prayer, religious education classrooms and large indoor and outdoor ministry facilities.

Once constructed, the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine will be the largest Catholic church in Oklahoma, allowing for large diocesan events such as ordinations, the Rite of Election and high school graduations.

The new facilities also will serve the growing Hispanic community. Masses at Sacred Heart, Saint James the Greater, Little Flower and other nearby parishes are overflowing. Masses at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine will help alleviate overcrowding and will be celebrated in both English and Spanish. Located near the crossroads of America, just south of Interestate 40 and I nterstate 35, the shrine will serve as a strong, visible and welcoming presence of the Catholic Church in Oklahoma.

The campaign will add funds to the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma’s Blessed Stanley Rother Endowment Fund to provide ongoing support for the maintenance and operations of the shrine and related ministries. Revenue generated from the endowment will supplement weekly offertory collections, gifts and purchases by shrine visitors.

Standing as a beacon of faith and a visible sign of the Church’s presence in Oklahoma, the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Complex will be a resource for the whole archdiocese. It will welcome people from across central and western Oklahoma as well as visitors and pilgrims from around the world.

The church at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine is designed in the Spanish mission style, echoing Blessed Stanley’s church in Santiago Atitlán.

In addition to the church, the Shrine complex will feature a two-story ministry building to respond to the religious education needs of the growing Catholic Community. This building will provide much-needed classroom and gathering space, administrative offices, and an event hall to host large archdiocesan gatherings, receptions, and retreats for pilgrims visiting the Shrine.

Above and beyond the archdiocesan campaign to build the Shrine church, chapel, and ministry facilities, we seek to build the Blessed Stanley Rother Museum and Pilgrim Center.  Located on the campus of the Shrine, the goal of the museum is to tell the story of Blessed Stanley Rother’s life of missionary discipleship.  The museum will serve as an archive for materials related to his life, martyrdom, and beatification.  Perhaps, one day, it also will contain information related to his canonization.

The Pilgrim Center will be the first arrival point upon reaching the Blessed Stanley Rother Shine and the pathway for pilgrims to reach the main church and chapel.  Inside the 6,000 square-foot facility, pilgrims will find an orientation room with a video documentary, and the museum will feature artifacts from every stage of his life.