A Letter from Archbishop Coakley to Sacred Heart

April 23, 2022
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A blessed Easter Season to you!

I am incredibly proud of the Sacred Heart families who are helping to lead the growing Church in the archdiocese. Your commitment to family and faith, and devotion to Jesus and his Blessed Mother are inspirations for me and thousands of fellow Catholics in Oklahoma.

In continuing the tradition of Sacred Heart that was begun on this spot in the early 1920s, I have asked my staff to bring you exciting news!   

Starting July 1, Sacred Heart’s new pastor will be Father Don Wolf, a well-respected priest of the archdiocese and cousin of Blessed Stanley Rother. Father Wolf’s family attended Sacred Heart and he served as pastor of the parish. Father Wolf will be joined by Father Rusty Hewes and Father Brannon Lepak, whose family also attended Sacred Heart. Father Wolf and Father Rusty are fully bilingual, and Father Brannon is learning! All three priests are dedicated to the tradition and mission of the Sacred Heart community, and are excited to join Sacred Heart.

This is a special parish, and a rapidly growing parish. For years now, we have had to celebrate Mass in the school gymnasium. Parishioners deserve a sacred space in which to strengthen their faith in the real presence of the Lord.

So, on Nov. 5, Sacred Heart and Holy Angels will become one parish located at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine. The parish will not be absorbed by the shrine. It will be its own entity with two campuses.          

The beautiful 2,000-seat shrine will be a welcoming sacred space where Sacred Heart families will be the first to breathe life into its walls. You will be able to celebrate baptisms, weddings, funerals and other sacraments surrounded by incredible architecture and beauty, and have the opportunity to pray near the final resting place of Blessed Stanley.

It is truly an honor to have Sacred Heart celebrate our rich Catholic tradition in the new shrine. The people of Sacred Heart are about family, faith and hard work – all of the things that meant the most to Blessed Stanley.

The shrine will be dedicated Friday, Nov. 4, and the first Masses will be held that weekend in English and Spanish. On Nov. 5, Tepeyac Hill and the statues of Our Lady of Guadelupe and Saint Juan Diego will be blessed and dedicated.

Once Sacred Heart relocates to the shrine, the current Sacred Heart church will be known as Historic Sacred Heart. It will continue to be used by Sacred Heart Catholic School, for daily Masses and for religious education classes until the ministry building is built on the shrine campus.

I’m sure you will have many questions in the coming weeks. To help answer those questions, Father Wolf and Father Rusty will be meeting with you soon. You also can find more information online at archokc.org/shrinesacredheart.

Thank you for your love and dedication to this amazing parish, and God bless you as we make this transition. You are in my prayers.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Paul S. Coakley
Archbishop of Oklahoma City