Published March 4, 2007
Surrounded by Angels
…
A Church Within A Church
Saint
Patrick’s Opens Capital Campaign
OKLAHOMA CITY — One of Oklahoma’s best- kept architectural treasures is in our own back yard. And unless you grew up in the neighborhood near NW 19th and Portland or happen to know someone who attends Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, you probably haven’t seen or heard of this very remarkable structure.
In early 1950, Bishop Eugene McGuinness had a vision for a new Catholic Church in northwest Oklahoma City. The new parish would be called Saint Patrick’s.
Saint Patrick’s came into its own on June 10, 1950, with Father Michael McNamee as the first pastor of the newly formed parish. The beginning was humble with only 120 young families in temporary facilities, but by 1955 the parish had more than quadrupled in size and plans for a new sanctuary were under way.
The new church needed to be practical, liturgically in keeping with the “mind of the church” and a work of art. Its simplicity would reflect a sense of order and the spirit of Christian poverty. A church within a church was the basic design. A glass wall enclosure would be the church proper. A courtyard to handle overflow crowds fills the space between the glass walls of the sanctuary and the exterior walls of angels. Together, they create a feeling of togetherness and unity.
Work
on the new church spanned a two-year time period and the structure
was built almost entirely by parishioners. More than 500 men and
women worked evenings, Saturdays, holidays and even some Sundays
to complete the church. Forms were built for the walls, concrete
was mixed and poured by hand, and the church started to take shape.
A company of angels, 52 of them, adorned the walls of the outer
courtyard and on a calm day you can almost hear them singing … “Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts.”
Saint Patrick Church was dedicated on Sept. 23, 1962. Following its dedication, the church received the Spaeth-Lercaro Architectural Competition Gold Medal because of its unique structure and design. Various other architectural acclaim followed and most recently, in June 2005, House and Garden magazine featured Saint Patrick’s as the church built “By The People, For The People.”
Today, Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church is, in many respects, much the same as it was 57 years ago. A proud church with a strong spirit and an even stronger faith in God. What has changed over the years are the demographics of the parish, the age of the congregation and the need for some major renovations to the parish facilities. The parishioners who worked tirelessly to build the parish and the new church over 57 years ago are no longer in a position to take on this daunting task alone.
“The
work to replace our roofs and floors, purchase a new air conditioner
for the church and update our other campus facilities needs to be
done now,” said Ann Allen, parishioner. “Our needs are immediate.”
In order to secure the funds necessary to complete the renovations,
Saint Patrick’s launched its One Family — “One Faith — One Mission
Capital Campaign.” As Father Thomas McSherry stated in his Homily
on Jan. 21, “Our goal is ambitious — $1,250,000 is needed
to restore our church to its previous state of good health and glory.
With the help of angels, I believe we can accomplish our goal.”
If you would like to provide assistance with the One Family — One Faith — One Mission Capital Campaign, please contact Rev. Thomas McSherry, Saint Patrick Catholic Church, 2121 N. Portland, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73107. All Oklahoma Catholics are invited to share in the celebration of the feast day of Saint Patrick over the weekend of March 17 and 18.
For additional information on the Capital Campaign or a Mass schedule, visit www.stpatrickokc.org.