The parish office will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th, to commemorate Veterans Day. We thank all those who have served in our military to keep our country free and safe. May God bless you abundantly.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. It is rare that this great feast falls on a Sunday! When you come to Mass, remember to ask all the Saints for their intercession for all the needs of you and your family. Take a moment to pray in front of the beautiful icon of the Saints in the Sanctuary.

In November we are called in a special way to remember "our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection" (Eucharistic Prayer II). We invite you to a bilingual Mass on November 2nd at 6:30pm for The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day).  We encourage you to join us on this special feast which is set aside specifically to remember our loved ones and all who have gone before us. Also, say a prayer for those who have no one to pray for them. 

There is no noon Mass on Monday.

November 15-22, 2026
Holy Family Church, Lawton

November 15, 2026
Presentation by Jim Bertrand
Presentation Location: Holy Family Gym (use Parish Office entrance)
Presentation Time: 5:00pm, followed by heavy Hors d'oeuvres

November 16-22, 2026
Exhibit Location: Holy Family Gym (use Parish Office entrance)
Exhibit Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm

• 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.

  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.

Enjoy photos from the Blessing of the Animals on  October 4, 2026 by clicking below.

Blessing of the Animals Photos 2026

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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.

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

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.

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).