Holy Family
CATHEDRAL NEWS March 2013
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Volume 18, Issue 8
Thirteen months until the 100th Anniversary of Holy Family’s Dedication
The Rector’s Report Dear Parishioners of Holy Family, Did you mother tell you to “look both ways” when you cross the street? As we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the dedication of our beautiful Cathedral Church, I invite you to “look both ways” with me: to the past, and to the future. The next thirteen months will be full of celebrations to help us recount key moments in the life of the Church in Tulsa, specifically at Holy Family. The Centennial Committee has chosen a theme for the year: Haec Est Domus Domini: Celebrating 100 Years. The Latin phrase engraved into the front façade of the Cathedral declares “This is the House of the Lord” to the people of Tulsa. The Centennial Committee and I have decided to open our celebrations on the Sunday after Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, on April 7, 2013. The year of celebrations will be marked by a number of events which I will list in the next edition of this parish newsletter, including a Gala on May 3, 2014. The year will end on May 4, 1914 with a special Mass celebrated by our Bishop Slattery. Please read Father Grant’s letter on page four for details. I am honored to be the Rector of the Cathedral. It is my greatest hope that this series of celebrations will draw us ever deeper into an appreciation of the holy men and women who were the pioneers of Catholicism in Tulsa, and for the faithful parishioners, clergy, and benefactors who have sustained the Church’s presence in downtown. Let’s look both ways: fondly towards our past and with great hope towards our future. In the Holy Family of Nazareth,
Msgr. Gregory A. Gier, Rector
Identification Statement: The Cathedral News Issue 8 March 2013 (USPS 022-729) is published 10 x per year (monthly, except for June and July) by Holy family Cathedral at 122 W 8th St., Tulsa OK 74119-1402. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CATHEDRAL NEWS, PO BOX 3204, Tulsa, OK 74101-3204.
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Notes from the Knighstand BY
MARTIN REIDY
St. Patrick's day is soon to come “Beannachtai na Feile Padraig!” to everyone. which simply menas “St. Patrick's Day Blessing” so as not to keep you from guessing!
to Ireland for six years where he liter-
memorable works regarding his mis-
March across this land so dry and
ally “got religion.” Lesser known is that
sionary objective and his undesignated
parched! Is this to be our eternal Lent?
his father, Calphuruius, was a Roman
title of Father of the Irish Church is
-arid days from Heaven sent? Or will
Deacon of high social standing and
richly deserved. So, come the l7th, put
we see the rain from the Heavens
that his mother, Conchessa, was re-
on something green and make the cul-
come again!
lated to Martin of Tours, and that his
tural scene and be, if not in fact, an
grandfather, Pontius, was a clergyman.
Irishman for a day"!
So now we come windy days of
So, while we suffer the weather
Now, before I take your leave, a word
many of our stalwart Knights weath-
Patrick was never formally canonized
ered the suffering of back-bending
by papal formality but is included in the
must be said of the labor of love that
labor at Clear Creek Monastery clearing
official List of Saints. This fact is nei-
went into providing our parish Mardi
brush and brambles once again - all for
ther unusual nor disturbing as for most
Gras celebration by the Holy Family
a free lunch on Saturday, March 2nd. A
of Christianity's first 1,000 years can-
Women's Club. They did an out-
few others of us forewent a day in the
onizations were done at the diocesan
standing job which results were en-
woods to feed hungry/homeless once
or regional level so you might say that
joyed by a spirited and lively crowd on
again at the Day Center and that is how
he became a saint by popular acclaim.
the 9th/Feb.
the Council began our March to Easter!
He is a celebrated saint not only in the
However, a tip of the Chapeau must
However, the month would not be
Catholic Church but also the Episcopal
once again go to Michael and Kathleen
complete without a comment or two
and Orthodox Professions. He was by
Davis for their extraordinary efforts in
regarding that universal saint - St. Pat-
no means the first missionary to Ire-
making this under- taking an unquali-
rick! - whose feast day falls on the
land as Palladius, another Irish Saint,
fied success. Michael and Kathleen
17th. I will forego the more commonly
preceded him. Other clerics who were
were in the kitchen shortly after 7 a.m.
known myths and legends for those all
either contemporaries or earlier than
that Saturday and did not leave until
well known in order to mention a cou-
Patrick were Saints Ciaran Saighir the
after l0 p.m. that evening. In short,
ple of more esoteric facts and musings
Elder, Bishop of Ossory; Auxilius,
there would have been no Mardi Gras
for your, hopefully, information and
Secundinus, and Iserninus who are
without Chef Michael at the stove! If he
knowledge about Patrick. There are
associated with the churches in Mun-
did not do all the cooking he certainly
varied opinions as to his birth place
ster and Leinster; and it is opinioned
did the greater part of it! Thus, no Mi-
and date though a general consensus
that many legends associated with
chael- no Mardi Gras! So, Michael and
is that he was born at Bannavern Tab-
Patrick are an amalgam of stories as-
Kathleen, congratulations on a job well
erniae circa 386 A.D. and died in 461
sociated with these four clerics. How-
done!
A.D. in Saul, Ireland. Well known is that
ever, they were primarily in the south of
he was captured by Irish pirates when
Ireland where as Patrick was in the
he was either 14 or 16 years old, taken
north and did do outstanding and
Pax!
Deadlines: The Cathedral News is published at the end of the month with the goal of arriving in parishioners’ mailboxes during the first week of the next month. Please make submissions by the 20th of the month to mikemalcom@gmail.com or to “Cathedral News,” PO Box 3204, Tulsa, OK 74101.
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Centennial Quick Facts:
Haec Est Domus Domini: Celebrating 100 Years BY REV. JOHN GRANT
Cathedral: The church in which the April 1, 2014 will be the 100th anniversary of the first
Bishop’s cathedra, or chair, is placed. The cathedra symbolizes a
Mass ever prayed in the oldest house of worship in the city
bishop’s teaching authority.
of Tulsa, our Holy Family Cathedral! To prepare for that historic event, the Parish will be celebrating a year long centen-
Co-Cathedral: A diocese that covers a
nial that will begin this year with a Solemn High Mass at
large area of land may have more
10:00am on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7. 2013. This Mass
than one cathedral church.
will be celebrated according to the old Extraordinary Form in Latin by our own Msgr. Gier according to the ritual that
Extraordinary Form: This is Mass
would have been used in 1914 when Mass was first celebrated in our Church. It will also
according to the 1962 Missal. It is
have the distinction of being one of only a few parish Extraordinary Form Masses cele-
sometimes referred to as a TML, or
brated since the reform of the liturgy after Vatican II (in 1968).
Traditional Latin Mass. The Centennial Celebrations will continue throughout the year with events comFather John Heiring: Holy Family’s
memorating the Art & Architecture of our unique ecclesial edifice in downtown Tulsa, a
third pastor and builder of the cur-
tribute to St. Katharine Drexel who helped to first establish our parish and school, a
rent church building.
concert to celebrate the high musical tradition and acoustic of our church, and a special celebration next January to commemorate His Excellency, Edward J. Slattery’s 20th
Haec Est Domus Domini: Latin for
anniversary as our Bishop.
“This is the House of the Lord.” The centennial will conclude with a Gala Ball on May 3 and a special Mass the folOrdinary Form: This is Mass accord-
lowing day with Bishop Slattery.
ing to the current Roman Missal. We are blessed to have such a magnificent and beautiful church to worship the Lord Saint Katharine Drexel: The famous
in each week; one of the most beautiful in Tulsa, and the oldest which has been in con-
“millionaire nun” funded the con-
tinuous use. It is a tribute to those who have come before us and have passed to us the
struction of the original Holy Family
extraordinary gift of our faith: in God, in His Church, and especially in the sacrament of
school.
the Most Holy Eucharist which has dwelt with us in this location for 100 years. Please make plans to join us in this historic celebration!
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOLY FAMILY CHURCH: FROM 1899 TO 1912 September 1899: First Mass at the original Holy Family Church. Father Charles Van Hulse served Tulsa’s Catholics as our pastor for a year. His biological brother, Father Theophile Van Hulse followed him. The Van Hulse brothers came from Belgium to Indian Territory. They knew that establishing a new parish would be difficult, but both were hard workers. With the financial help of St. Katharine Drexel, they built a small school by the church. Father Charles Van Hulse wrote in his diary:
The school closed its first session on the 28th of May, 1900, with an entertainment given by the pupils and which showed clearly the progress
TULSA’S FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH. THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS ARE NOW IN THE CHAPEL OF PEACE.
they had made under the care and instructions of the sisters. One of the great good results also of the church and school both, was the First Communion of a class of 12 children on Easter Sunday, 1900. The Catholic congregation in Tulsa now numbered between fifty and sixty members. A great many improvements, of course, are still needed for the church. As for the school building, although it is too small and not finished inside
THE CHURCH INTERIOR AFTER A 1907 EXPANSION.
and notwithstanding the sacrifices that the priest has made, the whole year and his efforts to obtain more help, there is a debt on it yet of $750.00. May God inspire some wealthy person to enable us to cancel that debt and make some, at least of the most necessary improvements. Deo Gracias. 1903: The school was debt-free.
HOLY FAMILY CHURCH AND SCHOOL, 1899
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOLY FAMILY CHURCH: FROM 1912-1914
1912: [top photo] Father John Heiring and his parishioners begin the excavation of the new church’s basement. THE VIEW FROM THE FUTURE RECTORY LOOKING EAST TOWARDS THE FUTURE AUDITORIUM.
1913: [middle, left] The foundation, steel superstructure, exterior stone and brick are completed. [middle, right] By the beginning of Fall, the now-familiar shape of Holy Family was visible. Father Heiring was so excited about the progress that he celebrated Mass in the church’s basement on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. That was the first Mass celebrated in the building.
1914: [bottom] Father Heiring’s “trispired gem” in Tulsa is complete. On the first of April, Bishop Meerschaert and thousands of Catholics processed from the original woodframe church to the new church. It is the anniversary of this 1914 Mass of Dedication that we will be celebrating next year.
THREE THOUSAND TULSANS PROCESSED TO THE NEW CHURCH FOR THE DEDICATION MASS.
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOLY FAMILY CHURCH: FROM 1914 TO PRESENT 1931: [top photo] Holy Family was designated a co-cathedral with Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Oklahoma City. The bishop of Oklahoma travelled between Tulsa and OKC for major liturgical celebrations. 1973 & 1974: [middle] Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Tulsa and by elevating Oklahoma City to be an Archdiocese. Bishop Bernard J. Ganter, the former Vicar General from the Diocese of Galveston/Houston, is named Tulsa’s first bishop. Holy Family Cathedral undergoes a renovation.
TULSA’S FIRST BISHOP AND THE FAITHFUL CELEBRATED A RENOVATED CATHEDRAL IN 1974.
September 2000: [bottom] Gala celebrating the centennial of the parish’s first Mass in the old church. Mass with Bishop Slattery, Archbishop Beltran & Archbishop John Quinn (both former archbishops of Oklahoma City), and Bishop McDonald of Little Rock. 2006 to present: A major renovation and restoration of the Cathedral focused on structural improvements, fire safety, handicapped accessibility, and the beauty of the interior and exterior.
BISHOP MCDONALD, BISHOP SLATTERY, ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN, & ARCHBISHOP QUINN
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Holy Family Cathedral PO Box 3204 Tulsa, OK 74101-3204
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