Priest's beatification, milestone anniversaries top Oklahoma's religion stories in 2017
An Oklahoma priest named Rother made headlines around the world, and his beatification ceremony in Oklahoma City is the state’s No. 1 religion story in 2017.
More than 20,000 people from across the globe — from Guatemala to the Vatican — traveled to Oklahoma City in September for the ceremony and celebration held to recognize that the Rev. Stanley Rother is one step closer to canonization as a saint.
The ceremony was a tribute to Rother’s remarkable journey from Okarche farm boy to the priesthood. The event, solemn at times and exuberant at others, was preceded by activities that included faith walks from local parishes to the Cox Convention Center where the much-anticipated event was held in September.
Other celebrations were among the top religion stories of the year.
Oklahoma Baptists celebrated the 100th anniversary of Falls Creek while the Carmelite Sisters of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus marked the 100th anniversary of their religious order. The Green family of Oklahoma Citybased arts and craft retailer Hobby Lobby celebrated the much-anticipated opening of their Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
Beatification ceremony
Heightened awareness about Rother’s beatification actually began in December 2016 when the priest was declared a martyr by Pope Francis. In early 2017, leaders with the Archdiocese of
Oklahoma City announced the date and time for his beatification ceremony and anticipation mounted.
Beatification is a declaration by the pope that Rother lived a holy life and is a good example to follow, the Most Rev. Paul Coakley, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, told those gathered for the beatification ceremony. The ceremony was only the second beatification to be held in the United States.
“To a Carmelite nun who asked what to do if he were killed, our martyr responded: ‘Raise the standard of Christ Risen.’” — Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome and representative of Pope Francis, said of Rother at the ceremony.
Falls Creek centennial
The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, representing the state’s largest faith group, marked the centennial of its sprawling youth camp and conference center called Falls Creek.
The camp and conference center changed dramatically from its 1917 beginnings, when J.B. Rounds and W.D. Moorer discovered the land among the Arbuckle Mountains where they dreamed of hosting Baptist Young People’s Union (B.Y.P.U.) Bible studies, campouts and worship services.
Today, the first tent where worshippers gathered for the first assembly has long since been replaced by a climate-controlled tabernacle with seating for more than 7,000.
The Tent City where people once camped out has been replaced by cabins flush with all the modern amenities one could hope for. In addition to the new tabernacle opened in 2007, a large event center and contemporary lodge have been added to the Falls Creek landscape.
Oklahoma Baptists marked Falls Creek’s centennial with a two-day celebration over Labor Day weekend that included Night of Praise and a more traditional Homecoming Service.
Nuns mark 100 years
Meanwhile, the Carmelite Sisters of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus celebrated the 100th anniversary of their religious order in July. The first Carmelite Sisters came to Oklahoma in 1917 to teach members of the ChoctawNation in a little town near Atoka.
The sisters got their name from the Rev. Edward Soler, the Carmelite priest who founded the order for the Oklahoma Province of St. Therese.
In 1928, Oklahoma Bishop Francis Kelley canonically established the Carmelite Sisters of St. Therese as a religious order because the sisters community had grown to 12. Marie Cavanaugh was elected their superior, and she took the religious name of Mother Agnes Teresa.
To mark the milestone anniversary, the nuns in the religious order held an open house and reception and invited friends to help them celebrate at their convent at St. Ann’s Retirement Center.
A one-of-a-kind national museum with Oklahoma ties was cause for celebration when it opened in November in Washington, D.C.
When the 430,000-squarefoot Museum of the Bible opened three blocks from the U.S. Capitol, the Green family of Oklahoma City saw the realization of their dream of a museum housing biblical artifacts and showcasing the history and relevance of the Bible.
Reformation milestone
In October, many metro-area Lutheran churches along with churches of other Christian denomination’s celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Activities included Reformation festivals and concerts.
Other stories
Festive events were not the only stories that made major headlines in 2017.
The closure of St. Gregory’s Catholic University in Shawnee, the state’s only Catholic university, occurred in December. The university’s board of directors voted to close the Catholic liberal arts college after the fall semester, saying it wasn’t possible to sustain operations after a $12.5 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture was denied.
And in a year that saw divisions in America become more and more apparent, some faith groups Oklahoma made efforts to denounce divisive words and actions of hate or partner with individuals in need of support.
In November, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma condemned white supremacy, racism and the political movement known as the alt-right at the group’s annual meeting in Oklahoma City.
In response to a state legislator’s questionnaire about their faith, a Muslim couple coordinated a domestic violence awareness project called “Totes of Love” that raised monetary donations and hygiene items for the YWCA of Oklahoma City in March.
The American Muslim Association of Oklahoma City initiative was created by metro-area doctors Basheer and Asiya Shakir, members of the Grand Mosque of Oklahoma City. The pair said the project was designed to raise awareness about domestic violence, plus provide tangible aid for women and children at the YWCA’s domestic violence shelter.
Their aim was to combat hate with love and education after learning that state Rep. John Bennett greeted several Muslim students attending a March 2 “Muslim Day at the Capitol” event with a questionnaire about their Islamic faith.
Also in March, more than 500 people participated in “El Camino del Immigrante,” a six-mile prayer pilgrimage from south Oklahoma City to downtown to show their support for the community’s immigrants and refugees.
The prayer effort was organized by a coalition of Christian churches and organizations concerned about individuals and families feeling vulnerable and uncertain in the wake of stepped up deportation efforts that were aimed at undocumented immigrants beginning in January.
Participants, many clutching wooden crosses, followed a route past U.S. Grant High School, Capitol Hill High School, Little Flower Catholic Church, the Latino Community Development Agency, Neighborhood Services Organization, Chesapeake Energy Arena and Myriad Gardens.Walkers were given special “El Camino” passports to get stamped at each prayer station along the pilgrimage route.
“Our walk this morning is all about love because God is love and God loves immigrants,” the Rev. John-Mark Hart, senior pastor of Christ Community Church, told those gathered.