It is important to keep our deceased friends and relatives in prayer. The highest form of prayer is the Holy Mass. You can have your loved one included as one of the prayer intentions for a specific Mass.

It is always good to celebrate special occasions, such as an anniversary, a birthday or a wedding, with a Mass intention as well.

Requesting a Mass intention is easy! Just go to the link below on our website. If you go directly to the website, there is a link at the top right of the page. You are also welcome to stop by the parish office during office hours to request a Mass intention.

A donation or stipend is not required for a Mass Intention. However, if you would like to make a donation, (Suggested Stipend is $10.00) you can do so after requesting the Mass date and time right through the website.

Request a Mass Intention

October 4th is normally the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. We celebrate the Blessing of the Animals on the Sunday nearest this date each year. This year it falls on a Sunday, so it is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but it is also the day we remember the great St. Francis. Please bring your animals for a special blessing. Details are as follows:

Blessing of the Animals

• 2:00pm on October 4, 2026
• in the grassy area between the rectory and the church
• All animals, big and small, are welcome!
• Please have all animals on a leash or in a carrier.

The 2026 Catholic Charities campaign is underway with an in-pew commitment process taking place this weekend. The Catholic Charities Campaign represents the chance for all Catholics to make a significant gift to Catholic Charities of the  Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in order to support its mission of providing help and hope to all through the Catholic tradition of service.

Many parishioners have received a letter requesting their support. If you have not received this letter, please respond to the in-pew commitment process today!

Your support of the 2026 Catholic Charities Campaign helps us to carry out the mission that Jesus entrusted to us. Please consider a generous gift that will change the lives of those we are privileged to serve each year in Oklahoma. Please pray for the success of the campaign, which provides the essential programs and services to
those in need.

• Experience the Man of the shroud at Holy Family Catholic Church in Lawton, Oklahoma

   

  This fall, Oklahoma Catholic Radio Network (OKCR) is bringing The Man of the Shroud exhibit to four Oklahoma parishes, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore one of Christianity's most fascinating and studied relics. Developed in collaboration with the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado, the exhibit combines history, science, and faith in an engaging experience for Catholics, and anyone interested in the mystery of the Shroud.  The exhibit does NOT include the actual shroud, which is located in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.

   
• What is the Shroud of Turin?

  Believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, the Shroud of Turin has been the subject of scientific research and historical investigation for decades. The exhibit features 42 professionally designed display panels, high-resolution images, and replicas of artifacts associated with Christ's Passion—including the nails, crown of thorns, Roman flagellum, and sponge.

  Visitors are invited to examine the evidence and consider two compelling questions:

  • Could the Shroud be the most important archaeological artifact ever discovered?
  • Does it provide clues to what happened during the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
• Special Presentation by Jim Bertrand

  Each tour stop will also feature a 75-minute presentation by nationally recognized Shroud expert Jim Bertrand, M.Ed. Using a life-sized replica of the Shroud, Bertrand explores its scientific findings, historical record, and spiritual significance, offering new insights for both longtime students of the Shroud and first-time visitors.

   

  

   
   

  November 15-22, 2026 / Holy Family Lawton

  Presentation by Jim Bertrand: Sunday, November 15, 2026
  Presentation Time: 5pm in the Church followed by heavy Hors d'Oeuvres
  
  Exhibit Location: Holy Family Parish Hall
  Exhibit Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm (except November 15, with 1pm start)

Click below to view photos of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy celebrated at Holy Family Church on September 13, 2026.

Divine Liturgy 9/13/26

Many parishioners received letters in August inviting their support of the Catholic Charities Appeal. Please pray for the mission of Catholic Charities and consider making
a gift today. Your support makes a difference!

This year’s theme, The Heart of Christ Restores, invites us to reflect together on the Sacred heart of Christ, and how through love it heals, restores, and brings hope when its needed most. As a community united in Christ, we are called to replicate Christ’s love and offer restoration to the poor, the vulnerable, and the forgotten – bringing hope where it is needed most.

Your gift to the Catholic Charities Appeal helps provide food, shelter, counseling, and support to individuals and families throughout the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Every donation helps extend mercy and comfort to someone in need, reminding them they are not alone.

Thank you for your generosity. We promise to be good stewards of your gift as we aim to restore lives through the love of Christ together.

To learn more and read stories of impact, click the button below.

Stories of Impact 

Please join is for Byzantine Divine Liturgy at 5:30pm this Sunday, September 13th. The Byzantine church is in full communion with the Roman Catholic church under the Pope. If you attend this beautiful liturgy, it counts as your Sunday obligation for attending Mass. Come and experience another Catholic liturgy!

Byzantine Catholics of Oklahoma City held Divine Liturgy on August 9, 2026 with Fr. Phil presiding. Enjoy the photos here:

Divine Liturgy 8/9/26

https://www.rotherdoc.com/

August 15th is The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is always a holy day, but this year it is not a day of obligation since it falls on a Saturday. We will celebrate and honor Our Blessed Mother with a bilingual Vigil Mass on Friday, August 14th, at 6:30pm.

On July 28th each year, we honor Blessed Stanley Rother. He was a priest from Okarche who served the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  Father Rother was ordained in 1968. Five years later, he received the call to serve in the Oklahoma mission in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. He was assigned there in 1968.

"Through the years, Father Rother learned the local dialect, served the people with devotion, and was deeply loved by the parishioners. Blessed Stanley Rother helped build a hospital, a school, and a Catholic radio station for the indigenous Mayan people. He helped translate the New Testament into the native Tz’utujil language and celebrated Mass in that native tongue. Known as Padre A’Plas (Francis, his middle name), Fr. Stanley was beloved by the Mayan people he served.

Political unrest swept the country in the 1970's and in 1980 four priests were killed in Guatemala. Fr. Stanley discovered that his name appeared on a death list in 1981.

When the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City learned that Fr. Stanley’s name was on a death list, they ordered him home. He protested; he couldn’t just leave his flock during a time when they could be kidnapped and murdered at will. “This is one of the reasons I have for staying in the face of physical harm,” he wrote. “The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.”

Despite his desire not to abandon the people of Santiago Atitlán, Fr. Stanley was obedient and returned to Oklahoma City in January of 1981. His heart, however, never left Guatemala, and after receiving permission to celebrate Easter with his flock, Fr. Stanley returned to Guatemala in April. On July 28, 1981, assassins entered the parish rectory and killed Fr. Stanley. His heart is buried in the church in Guatemala and his body is buried at the Shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City. " (the portion in quotations is taken from an article by Loyola Press, located here: https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/saints/saints-stories-for-all-ages/stanley-rother/)

Father Rother was formally recognized by Pope Francis as a martyr on December 2, 2016. He was Beatified in Oklahoma City by Cardinal Amato on behalf of Pope Francis on September 23, 2017.

O God, fount of all holiness,
make us each walk worthily in our vocation,
through the intercession of your Saints,
on whom you bestowed a great variety of graces on earth.
Having graced your Church with the life of
your priest and martyr, Blessed Stanley Rother,
grant that by his intercession this humble flock may reach
where the brave shepherd has gone.
Grant that your Church may proclaim him a saint
living in your presence and interceding for us.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The icon at the top of this page is in our Chapel. You can light a candle there and ask for Father Rother's intercession any hour of the day. This beautiful icon was written by our parishioner, Beverly Layton (Deacon Tony's wife).

The Knights of Columbus Council 11909 at Holy Family Catholic Church was founded in 1882 on the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity. The organization is dedicated to providing financial aid and assistance to sick, disabled, and needy members and their families.

The 10th Annual Bowling Tournament Fundraiser will be held at Thunderbird Lanes, 4405 NW Cache Road, Lawton, OK 73505, during Labor Day Weekend 2026. Tournament times are Saturday, September 5, at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, September 6, at 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Each year, the Knights of Columbus annual bowling tournament brings together more than 30 two-person teams for a weekend of friendly competition and fellowship. This year's fundraising goal is $10,000, with proceeds benefiting M28 Ministries and Holy Family Catholic Church.

Local nonprofit organizations are encouraged to donate promotional items to be used as door prizes. These donations help increase awareness of the valuable services available in our community. Promotional items should be submitted by August 15.

Retail businesses are also invited to support the tournament by donating toward a banner to be displayed at Thunderbird Lanes or by contributing items for door prizes or raffle drawings. Business donations should be received by August 1.

Bowlers of all skill levels are invited to participate, enjoy the fellowship, and compete alongside talented bowlers, including the previous five 300-game bowlers who have participated in past tournaments. For more information or to register, contact Carl Christman at (321) 501-7351.