Several Catholic churches in Pottawatomie and Seminole counties are being closed or being reassigned as missions, leaders with the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City have announced.
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The Most Rev. Eusebius J. Beltran, archbishop of the archdiocese, wrote letters to parishioners in the affected churches saying that the closings and reassignments will become effective June 17.
In his letter to parishioners, published in the May 11 edition of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City’s official newspaper, The Sooner Catholic, Beltran said the closures and reassignments are necessary because of a shortage of priests and the reassignment of monks who had been serving in pastoral roles.
The monks of St. Gregory’s Abbey will be responsible for only the Sacred Hearts parish in Konawa. They will discontinue serving in seven other parishes where they have served for more than a century, Beltran wrote.
“Although I am not happy about these changes, I find them necessary in order to best serve you, the people of this area, as I simply have no other available priests to send at this time,” Beltran wrote in his May 1 letter to the affected parishes.
Scheduled for closure are:
“For more than a century, the monks of St. Gregory’s Abbey have faithfully served many areas across Oklahoma but especially the churches of Pottawatomie and Seminole counties. As you already know, due to a shortage of personnel and in order to emphasize their monastic charism, the abbey will no longer be responsible for parishes with one exception, Sacred Heart Church in Konawa,” Beltran wrote.
The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City includes parishes in central and western parts of the state.
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Floyd, how many times can you use the word "spent" in a sentence. I am impressed, but perhaps you could use some more education in communications and even perhaps reading comprehension since my thoughts went right over your head. As far as judging is concerned, this world could use some more of it. We are called to discern between the tares and the wheat!
Josh would appear to be educated beyond his capacity, and should have spent a little of the time spent in Lutheran theology in communications. Under his own description of saved by faith or by works, being a member of a church is no guarantee of salvation. Not all catholics, nor all Baptists, or any denomination can make that claim. Only faith in him...Josh, remember Paul's admonition to judge not.
Jimmy, are you sure that you’re attending a Catholic church? You’re a funny guy! Your catholic Catechism states unequivocally that the mass is “the sacrifice of the new law in which Christ, through the ministry of the priest, offers himself to God in an unbloody manner under the appearances of bread and wine. The mass is the sacrifice of Christ offered in a sacramental manner.” So if you’ve been attending mass your whole life and have yet to see a sacrifice, you might check your facts because it sounds like you’re not catholic, and that’s a good thing. And by the way, there’s a 100% chance I’m going to heaven so you keep rolling the dice for you’re 50% chnce and I’ll take my guarantee! Checkmate
P.S. Josh I would encourage you to attend a Sunday Mass & visit with a priest if you see any of the stuff you mentioned Such as sacrifices & Mnay demands for Hail Mary's please let me know , Although I am sure you will hear the Lords prayer there maybe even more than once. It's a good thing I don't just listen to what people tell me or I would be in there packing for my trip to hell.
Josh, You have obviously come to your conclusion & there is no reasoning with you or making you understand, so I won't even try. I do have this to say, I have been Catholic all of my life & I have yet to go to Mass and see any type of sacrificing going on nada & Zip, none. I have never prayed to Mary I only ask her tp pray for me the sinner & How do you know she can't hear you??? How do you know God can hear you?? I have found that most of the conclusions you can come up with on your own are usually wrong. I am relatively sure that the Catholics know that you do not get to heaven by your works alone, but doing good deeds while here on earth sure can't hurt your chances. You have a 50/50 shot at it Josh ,God Bless you & may he show you the way. You remind me of a lost sheep. I'm sorry that you feel Catholics are headed for hell, but hey I may see you there, take care.
Jimmy, you’ve misunderstood what I said regarding reading the bible. Merely reading the bible will not guarantee you a trip to heaven obviously. But within the bible, it does GUARANTEE that you can get to heaven, IF you put your faith in Christ alone and not in your works. It doesn’t say hope that you might get to heaven, that’s ridiculous. Please READ your bible and don’t just listen to what people are telling you, you might be surprised as to what conclusions you come up with yourself by reading the word. I’m not a Baptist and you may in fact be correct that their operation is run like a business as well, but it would pale in comparison to the catholic business, it’s a much more successful business so to speak! It’s funny you mention Crossroads Cathedral pastor, formerly Dan Schaefer. When I was like 16 years of age, I couldn’t understand the whole mansion thing especially when the bible renounces riches, and I still feel this way. My old man went to that church for a long time and supposedly Schaefer believes that his home will be a safe haven for Christians after the rapture, weird?! Anyhow back on topic, no one is saved through baptism. Regarding Mary, why pray to her. She’s in heaven and cannot hear your prayers, they are wasted efforts. She is not hearing anyone’s requests for her prayer. Pray for yourself primarily and at times have others that are still ALIVE pray for you. How do we know that Mary was the most Holy woman ever? She was holy just like the rest of believers because of her faith in her son Jesus Christ, not because of anything she did herself. Mass is not the same thing as a Sunday service. At mass they offer sacrifices and demand hail mary’s and repetitious our Father’s. Why offer sacrifices? In my book, it blasphemous given that Christ was the final and perfect sacrifice for our sins! Jesus Christ spoke more about Hell than any other topic, so the fire and brimstone thing really doesn’t bother me all that much. They are just emphasizing the same thing that Christ did in his early ministry. I cannot save anyone in and of myself. However, I can communicate the truths that are found in the bible to others, and if they heed these truths, then they can be saved. Either catholics are right or protestants are right, it can’t be both. I have studied both vigorously and will continue to do so. I have concluded that Catholicism is a farce man made religion that sprinkles in just enough biblical truth to give it some credibility. And lastly, in the bible it specifically states to watch out for those who claim that preachers/teachers cannot marry, because they indeed can!
P.S. In a hurry I'm for the unrequired Mass & to say a few hail Mary's don't have time for punctuation & spelling checks. If I'm not back on here by tonight just assume I made it to hell.
Well Josh, I assume this would have to go for just about any religion out there . IF ALL I HAVE TO DO TO GET TO HEAVEN IS READ THE BIBLE I CAN SURE DO THAT, But I am pretty sure that isn't all that is required. Gerald if your theory is correct that would pretty much go for all the churches as well the Baptist Churches. If it were not for donations the Pastor at Crossroads Cathedral wouldn't be able to live in his mansion and keep his church up. JOsh to put it into simple terms the Head of the Roman Catholic church is the POPE. You keep referring to the Hail Mary's , I ask you have you ever asked anyone to pray for you? If so what would be the difference in that and asking the holiest of all women Jesus mother to pray for you?? Josh you are horribly mistaken if you think going to heaven is a guarantee for catholics or anyone else. The only guarantee is that jesus died on that cross so we could be forgiven for our sins & if you ask for forgivness & follow the Lord then you have a pretty good shot at it. Another question Josh , SAVED from what??? Do you really think a man putting H2O on your head or dunking you in a pool of water is going to SAVE you?? God is the only one that can save you. A mass Josh, Is the same thing as you sitting in church on Sunday morning and listening to a Pastor , the difference is our priest is calm & doesn't throw out the fire & brimstone some churches do. Josh, I have come to the conclusion that you must just be taking a twenty minute crash course in Theology. If you want to save people as you say then go out & preach the word to those that do not believe in God at all because they need you to save them. I still don't understand how you save someone???? Whatever possessed(SPELLING?) you to think that Catholics are hell bound ?? Did you read that somewhere??? Gerald we can't just pick a guy that can read the Bible and call him a priest, we have a shortage probably due to the fact that they can't be married & the times we live in so therefore the Churches have to be combined or shutdown.
I am still reading, and waiting for a good answer which I have not yet received. I’m not exactly sure who Herschel Hobbs is and don’t know that I would put his assessment above my own critical thinking about the matter. If catholics are hell bound, then we should REACH out to them and not just to those whom society claims are in more need of salvation. You’re either saved or not. There’s not a level of being un-saved. Gerald, good call, I do see the pope as a CEO and my studies of the catholic faith are leading more and more to just seeing it as a business disguised as religion. Jimmy, getting to Heaven is guaranteed if you read your bible, but your bishop/pope/archbishop whatever you call it has probably banned you from reading your bible. Heaven is guaranteed for those who put their faith in Christ and in him alone, not in their works (Hail Mary’s, Confessions, Masses, etc). So if there are any takers left, please tell me how a catholic gets to heaven?
Josh, I hope you are still reading this page. I am about as true a Baptist as there is - studied directly from Herschel Hobbs, himself. And I'm CERTAIN that Dr. Hobbs would tell you that Catholics are Christians. Yes, there are doctrinal differences. And now that I'm older I can attest there are **cultural** differences, too, and that always gets in the way. But just as Jesus speaking to the woman at the well (and countless other examples), it is our path to REACH OUT to people who are different and embrace them! I look around myself and see all kinds of people who have been turned off by "religion", too "busy" to attend church, don't "need" a spiritual connection to what created them in the first place. Let's start with the low-hanging fruit, ok? The people who REALLY need us - *now* ????
I do not presume to disrespect any person's choice of worship. That being said, let's face it, with a CEO in the corporate headquarters in Vatican City, the catholic church is a big business. And like any regular corporation, any branches that don't bring in the bucks are shut down.
John, I didn't realize we were enemies but I am glad we agree on something. Josh ,If you are in need of finding hell bound people, You shouldn't have to look very hard there are many out there. Also I am pretty sure they aren't all Catholic either. As far as Getting to Heaven it's a goal not a guarantee as there are some rules to follow while you're here. We do it by being the best people we can be & by asking for forgivness when we stumble. Pretty much the same way you expect to get there Josh, if indeed that is what you seek.
Look, I don't mean to be harsh about what I'm saying, I really don't. I'm just being honest about what I believe. I think most catholic people are good people; not that being a good person will get you into heaven. And I don’t mean to belittle anyone. I won't be offended by anyone telling me that they think my beliefs are crazy. But please tell me why you think my beliefs are crazy just like I am telling you why I believe catholicism is crazy. The reason I care about discerning catholic beliefs is this. If I conclude that catholics are heaven bound despite the unnecessary hail mary’s then I won’t waste my evangelistic efforts on them. However, if I deem catholics to be hell bound, then I see them as a ripe group of people in need of the salvation found in Jesus Christ alone. I want to understand Catholicism from catholics and not from some book I read. So please enlighten me. How does a catholic get to heaven?
Right on Tim and Jimmy. I am not going to miss an opportunity to publicly agree with Jimmy. I knew eventually there would be something I could agree with you about. Carson thanks for representing. I think David has it figured out on Josh's source of information.
I'm with you John, it looks like they misunderstood what the archbishop was saying (he clearly met that the monks had historically been most active in Pottawatomie and Seminole counties, but not that they were only there.) furthermore, it looks like they don't have a basic understanding of where places are in Oklahoma. kind of bad for the state's flagship paper
as for the other discussions on this blog, they make me kind of sad. discussions of theological differences are important and can be interesting but they must always be done respectfully. trying to pigeonhole people isn't cool
Carson, Good info. Now I'm not exactly sure how infant baptism relates to salvation. A baby is not saved due to baptism. Baptism is a work and so you may have just made my argument for me with your statement. Do catholics believe that a baby is not saved who was never baptized? Catholics have reverted to a warped old school Levitical type priesthood that continually offers sacrifices when the greatest and final sacrifice has already been made in Jesus Christ. Basically here is where I am at in my beliefs. I can see that most of the things catholics do are pretty silly and irrelevant, but what I am trying to figure out is if any of your silly antics are 'heresy'. How does a catholic make it to heaven? And also, do you believe in purgatory?
Whatever sources you are using to study Catholic Theology are severely misplaced, and your statements concerning salvation are stated in the inverse. Methodist and Catholics believe that salvation is a gift from God. That is part of the reason that both of those churches believe in infant baptism. Whereas Baptist and other more evangelical denominations of Christianity believe that a person is not supposed to be baptized as an infant because their church doctrine states the individual must request the salvation from God at an age when they understand what it means to be “saved.” I am not advocating one position over the other regarding salvation, but those are the facts.
If you want to know the specific stance on Catholics views concerning salvation, read this:
The Council of Trent describes the process of salvation from sin in the case of an adult with great minuteness (Sess. VI, v-vi).
It begins with the grace of God which touches a sinner's heart, and calls him to repentance. This grace cannot be merited; it proceeds solely from the love and mercy of God. Man may receive or reject this inspiration of God, he may turn to God or remain in sin. Grace does not constrain man's free will.
Thus assisted the sinner is disposed for salvation from sin; he believes in the revelation and promises of God, he fears God's justice, hopes in his mercy, trusts that God will be merciful to him for Christ's sake, begins to love God as the source of all justice, hates and detests his sins.
My father was raised Baptist, my mother was raised Methodist, I was raised in a Methodist church with both parents, my wife was raised Catholic, and we attend Catholic Church in Edmond.
In the roughly five years that I have been attending Catholic Church, I have never once heard a Priest say anything that would remotely imply that your ‘works’ have any effect on salvation. Furthermore, the real Catholics that I know are some of the most spiritual and least judgmental people that I have ever met.
Good luck in your Catholic Theology studies. I would suggest that you make sure that what you are reading is legitimate information, from legitimate sources. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Catholic church.
Dear J.T of Norman or Kevin, OKC the reason the Archdiocese is closing these parishes and combining others is based strictly on the number of members in that parish and the availability of Priests in the Archdiocese. There is a shortage of Catholic Parish Priests in the U.S.
So in order for the diocese to serve the most people they utilize the available priests more effectively by closing or combining parishes. So now you can rest easily and don't be taking anymore shots at the Catholic Church it just shows how ignorant you are
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as for the other discussions on this blog, they make me kind of sad. discussions of theological differences are important and can be interesting but they must always be done respectfully. trying to pigeonhole people isn't cool
Whatever sources you are using to study Catholic Theology are severely misplaced, and your statements concerning salvation are stated in the inverse. Methodist and Catholics believe that salvation is a gift from God. That is part of the reason that both of those churches believe in infant baptism. Whereas Baptist and other more evangelical denominations of Christianity believe that a person is not supposed to be baptized as an infant because their church doctrine states the individual must request the salvation from God at an age when they understand what it means to be “saved.” I am not advocating one position over the other regarding salvation, but those are the facts.
If you want to know the specific stance on Catholics views concerning salvation, read this:
The Council of Trent describes the process of salvation from sin in the case of an adult with great minuteness (Sess. VI, v-vi).
It begins with the grace of God which touches a sinner's heart, and calls him to repentance. This grace cannot be merited; it proceeds solely from the love and mercy of God. Man may receive or reject this inspiration of God, he may turn to God or remain in sin. Grace does not constrain man's free will.
Thus assisted the sinner is disposed for salvation from sin; he believes in the revelation and promises of God, he fears God's justice, hopes in his mercy, trusts that God will be merciful to him for Christ's sake, begins to love God as the source of all justice, hates and detests his sins.
My father was raised Baptist, my mother was raised Methodist, I was raised in a Methodist church with both parents, my wife was raised Catholic, and we attend Catholic Church in Edmond.
In the roughly five years that I have been attending Catholic Church, I have never once heard a Priest say anything that would remotely imply that your ‘works’ have any effect on salvation. Furthermore, the real Catholics that I know are some of the most spiritual and least judgmental people that I have ever met.
Good luck in your Catholic Theology studies. I would suggest that you make sure that what you are reading is legitimate information, from legitimate sources. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Catholic church.
So in order for the diocese to serve the most people they utilize the available priests more effectively by closing or combining parishes. So now you can rest easily and don't be taking anymore shots at the Catholic Church it just shows how ignorant you are