Issuu

JULY 2022

In This Issue: 2 Stewardship: A Need to Give 3 We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles 4 Sacraments of Initiation 6 Learning About the “Summertime” Saints 7 Getting to Know Deacon Tom Gorman

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Meet Seminarian Luke Bland

Responding to God’s Love on the Path to the Priesthood

hen Luke Bland was in college, he had two burning questions on his heart — “What does it mean to live a meaningful life?” and “What does it mean to be a man?” “I was raised Methodist and became agnostic as a teenager because I didn’t feel like there were any answers,” Luke says. “But these two questions drove me to reconsider religion.” Luke’s path to the seminary began with this search for answers, for the truth, and he turned to several Catholic friends for conversations about the faith. “My friends knew the faith and were familiar with Aquinas, Augustine and Anselm, among others,” Luke says. “I began to realize that people have been thinking about God and religion for a long time, and there are answers to these questions.” Another key moment in Luke’s journey was going to the traditional Luke Bland would like to thank the faith community Latin Mass with his then-girlfriend and her family. for their ongoing support and prayers as he continues “I was really struck by the liturgy, since I had never seen anything so his journey to the priesthood. reverent and ancient,” he says. “I had never worshiped like that. There was a sacredness. The chanting that they did during the Mass was beautiful and I had never heard anything like that before.” Luke remembers being at Mass and listening to the Kyrie eleison and realizing his own insufficiency. “They were chanting the Kyrie and asking the Lord for mercy, and I sung the words too because it was beautiful,” Luke says. “But at some point, I started to mean the words. I had come to recognize that religion made sense, and then I had come to recognize that I need this.” Over the next few years, Luke began to embrace the Catholic faith more as he studied philosophy at the University of Tulsa. It was at a FOCUS conference that Christ’s love became very personal for Luke. continued on back cover 8TH STREET & BOULDER AVE • TULSA, OK 74119 • (918) 582-6247 • TULSACATHEDRAL.COM

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL

STEWARDSH A Need to Give W

hen the church needs a new roof or the local food bank needs donations, we jump at the chance to give for the sake of the need. It’s part of our human nature — we identify a need, and we want to give of our time, talent and treasure to help. But as a stewardship people, we are called to give of ourselves not simply because the Church has needs, but because each of us has a need to give. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states in its pastoral letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, “We need to give our money to individuals and families in need, to the Church, and to other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving money is good for the soul and because we need to return thanks to a loving God for all of the many blessings each of us has received” (67). As fellow members of the Body of Christ, created in God’s image, we should strive to go beyond simply co-existing with one another on earth. The life we live should be fueled by love for each other. This love should dictate how we live — by giving of ourselves. Jesus Christ showed us the perfect example of this self-giving love when He died on the cross. His death was a completely selfless act. He gave of

Himself for our sake, offering us — through that gift — life everlasting. As Christ’s disciples, we follow His example, and we give of ourselves for the sake of others, out of love and an inherent need to give. That’s not to say that we gain nothing through our gifts. In fact, in His goodness, God sees to it that we do. Most of us have experienced what happens when we give of our time, talent or treasure. We feel as though we get more out of it than we give. If you speak to someone who serves at the soup kitchen or someone who has made it a regular practice to tithe to the Church, you are likely to find that he or she feels blessed to be able to give. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops points out, “To be a Christian disciple is a rewarding way of life, a way of companionship with Jesus, and the practice of stewardship as a part of it is itself a source of deep joy. Those who live this way are happy people who have found the meaning and purpose of living” (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 21). Find out for yourself. Get involved in a ministry. Make a commitment to put some money in the collection basket next Sunday. Don’t wait to find out if there is a need — give of yourself right now. You will be richly blessed for doing so.

JULY 2022 A Letter from Our Rector

We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles Dear Parishioners,

t is human nature to try to neatly place things into categories. If we categorize the miracles performed by Christ, the two largest groupings might fall under the headings “Healing” and “Feeding.” This is exactly what we are about here at Holy Family Cathedral. At the base of all our liturgies is the Eucharist, when we come together in communion with the Lord and with one another to be both fed and healed. Even one of Christ’s most famous miracles — the Feeding of the Multitude — involved both healing and feeding from a spiritual and a literal perspective. The reason the large crowd gathered was because Jesus’ reputation as a healer had spread and grown. He felt compassion for that crowd, which is another way of saying He loved them and felt sorry that they were hungry due to their willingness to sit and be with Him for so long. Recognizing it was late in the day and that many of them had not eaten, Jesus literally fed them — but that day, He didn’t stop with physical nourishment. He also fed them spiritually with His words, and simultaneously, healed their wounded hearts by preaching a message of hope and forgiveness in the midst of a dark and hardened world. The narrative of Christ taking a small amount of food and using it to feed thousands is familiar to all of us. It is reported in all four Gospels. However, I would like to highlight one

aspect of that miracle. It all started with one boy who was willing to share what little he had. Because the boy made the gift of his fishes and loaves, the Lord took it and multiplied it many times over, nourishing so many more people than what that little bit initially could. Isn’t that what we as a parish are called to do? We make gifts of our time, our talent, and our treasure as good stewards — but nevertheless, it is God who takes those gifts and performs miracles with them. Our goal is to give what we have so that Christ might use it, multiplying it to feed, to heal and draw a multitude of people closer to Him. The reality is that without the gifts, there can be no miracles, and without miracles, we are a hungry and broken people. Christ has come to renew, nourish, fulfill, and restore — and that, brothers and sisters, is what Christianity is all about. Sincerely yours in Christ,

Very Rev. Gary D. Kastl Rector

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL Sacraments

Holy Family Cathedral Celebrates Our Children

n the weekend of Pentecost 2020, Holy Family Cathedral published our three-year priority plan with goals particularly related to hospitality, faith formation and outreach. With the celebration of Confirmation and First Communion on Sunday, May 22, we moved one step closer to reaching one of our faith formation goals to initiate 40 to 50 first and second-grade children annually through the Restored Order Sacramental Program. “It was a joy to see more of our children continue to celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation in May,” says Kelsie Thomas, the 2020-2022 faith formation coordinator. “Their families worked with them every step of the way to make sure they were prepared for this exciting celebration in their faith lives.” Kelsie stepped into the role of faith formation coordinator for the past two years as Holy Family Cathedral implemented the Restored Order Sacramental

Preparation Program as a pilot parish for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Rather than waiting until high school for Confirmation, as is typical in our diocese, our children now prepare for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Communion in the first and second grades. Since we are in a “catchup” phase of sorts with our older children that had not yet reached their Confirmation, many families have the opportunity for multiple siblings to be Confirmed together. “Between the Masses offered in May 2021, October 2021 and May 2022, we had over 75 children from our parish and school community receive their sacraments,” Kelsie says. “This fall we are anticipating another 20 or so to receive their sacraments as well. Each time, we get more in the Restored Order and less that are only receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.”

JULY 2022

of Initiation

n Receiving Confirmation and First Communion The shift to the Restored Order Sacramental Preparation Program and offering of the sacraments Masses twice a year allows for our families to integrate the formation into the daily life at home. Families have the flexibility to take the time they need to ensure their children are prepared to receive the graces of these sacraments. In addition to the formation at home, there are two more formative preparation activities for the children prior to receiving their sacraments — a retreat and an interview. The retreats are centered around the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and then Confirmation and First Communion. Following the retreats, the children have the opportunity to share their preparedness for the sacraments through an interview. Their interview marks the final step before their May or October reception of the sacraments. Once they have proven they are ready for Reconciliation, they are able to schedule their First Reconciliation with a priest. “The fruits of the transition to the Restored Order have already astounded our parish,” Kelsie says. “Our parents share great feedback about how their faith and formation of their children has only improved their family life. Many parents have even shared the positive impact this formation has had on their own faith life and how much they have been able to be formed as well and learn new things about our faith.” Holy Family Cathedral is proud to offer this faith formation opportunity to all of our families. Although we are well on our way to fulfilling the parish goals set in the 2020 Priority Plan, the fruits of the Restored Order Sacramental Preparation program far surpass any goals we could ever set as a community.

Holy Family Cathedral would like to thank Kelsie Thomas for the work she has done to support the Restored Order Sacramental Program over the past two years. Alondra Griffith will lead all faith formation moving forward and can be contacted at any time to begin formation for your family at agriffith@tulsacathedral.com.

HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL Learning About the “SUMMERTIME” SAINTS

S St. Christopher

St. Joseph of Cupertino

St. Brendan the Navigator

St. Adjutor of Vernon

chool is out, and summer is now in full swing. The days are longer, warmer and filled with plenty of fun summertime activities. This summer, as we take family vacations, gather with friends and loved ones for barbecues, spend time by the pool, and enjoy all of the usual summertime activities, we can also take the time to reflect on some of the saints who are associated with the summer. Family vacations are perhaps the most iconic of all summertime activities. Although there is no patron saint of vacations, there are a number of saints associated with traveling. One of the most popular is St. Christopher. According to his story, St. Christopher was an extremely tall and strong man who served Christ by helping people cross an especially dangerous river. That is why many people wear St. Christopher medals while traveling — to ask for his blessing and protection. For those of us who are taking road trips this summer, there is St. Frances of Rome, the patron saint of cars and drivers. While St. Frances died well before cars were invented, her story says that her guardian angel went ahead of her when she traveled at night and lit the road with a lantern to keep St. Frances safe. There are also saints we can look to when traveling by plane. St. Joseph of Cupertino was a Franciscan friar who is said to have frequently and miraculously levitated off the ground during intense prayer sessions. Because of this levitation, he is recognized as the patron saint of air travelers. St. Therese of Lisieux is also associated with aviators and flying. If you are going on a cruise this summer, you can ask for the intercession of St. Brendan the Navigator, an Irish monk who founded the Clonfert monastery and monastic school, and is the patron saint of mariners and sailors. He and his brothers sailed the Atlantic Ocean and evangelized on a number of islands, and may have even reached the Americas. Another favorite summer activity is swimming. Whether you choose a pool, a lake or the ocean, seek the intercession of St. Adjutor of Vernon, a knight who was captured in the First Crusade. His captors tried to force him to give up his faith, but St. Adjutor escaped by swimming to his freedom. For this reason, he is the patron saint against drowning, and for drowning victims, sailors and swimmers. The summer is also a time of amusement and enjoyment. One of the biggest national celebrations of the summer is the Fourth of July. For this type of summertime activity, we look to St. Barbara, the patron saint of fireworks. There are also a number of saints with feast days during the summer. The feast day of St. Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, is celebrated on July 26. July 31 is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who is also associated with stewardship. These are just two of the many saints whose feasts we celebrate this summer. No matter what kinds of activities we choose to enjoy during the summertime, let us remember to honor the saints who have gone before us, and give their intercession for us as we walk through our own journeys of faith.

JULY 2022

Getting to Know Deacon Tom Gorman Enjoying Every Part of His Vocation to the Diaconate

t. Joseph is a beautiful example of someone who followed the will of God in his life. It is for this reason, among other things, that Rev. Deacon Tom Gorman considers him to be his favorite saint. “He listened to the voice he heard and never questioned it,” Deacon Tom says. “He worked with his hands and without question did God’s will.” For many years, Deacon Tom served in nearly every community at our parish. He was ordained to the diaconate in 2007, but he gives to our beloved cathedral in many ways beyond his vocation as deacon. “God has given me a gift, the ability to reason, listen and fix or repair most problems in this 108-year-old cathedral,” he says. “Over the years I have met many talented workers who have helped me when I needed assistance.” But Deacon Tom also serves outside of our cathedral doors, as well. For example, when encountering the homeless or sick, Deacon Tom and his wife, Helga, answer the calls that God places on their hearts. “I serve whenever I am called to go,” he says. When asked what he enjoys most about his vocation, Deacon Tom replies that there is not a single thing he can narrow down, for he enjoys every part of his diaconate ministry. The ministry involves both he and Helga sharing together in the mission of serving those in need. Deacon Tom and Helga have been married for 58 years. “She worked for a friend of mine, he and I would have a cup of coffee together every day,” he says.

“When he first hired her and I walked into his office and saw her, I knew she was the one. After coffee I went back to my office and wrote my sister a letter and told her who I just met and that she was going to be my wife, if she would have me. On our 50th anniversary, my sister gave us that letter and I still cherish it.

For many years, Deacon Tom Gorman served in nearly every community at our parish. He was ordained to the diaconate in 2007, but he gives to our beloved cathedral in many ways beyond his vocation as deacon.

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Meet Seminarian Luke Bland

continued from front cover

“I knew then that I wanted to respond to the Lord’s great love for me,” Luke says. “Even though I didn’t feel that I would be ultimately called to the priesthood, I kept feeling this pull, and as I walked down that path, I felt peace and confidence.” In the fall of 2020, Luke entered Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, and he has loved his seminary experience so far. “I was surprised in seminary to learn how important the simple things are like self-knowledge and knowing who you are as a person,” Luke says. “Do you know the Lord delights in you, that you are a beloved child of the Father? It is such a simple part of our faith, but it is so important to know that.” The summer before he entered seminary, Luke became a parishioner

As he anticipates becoming a priest, Luke Bland is most looking forward to the experience of spiritual fatherhood.

at Holy Family Cathedral, which is where his ordination will take place at the conclusion of seminary. “During breaks, I have the opportunity to help out at Holy Family,” Luke says. “I do small things like serving at Mass, setting up for different liturgies like Christmas, and sharing my conversion story.” Luke would like to thank the faith community for their ongoing support and prayers as he continues his journey to the priesthood. As Luke anticipates becoming a priest, he is most looking forward to the experience of spiritual fatherhood. “I feel very convicted about passing on the richness and beauty of the faith to God’s children,” Luke says. “The tradition is their inheritance. It belongs to God’s children for whom He established the Church. Thank you for your prayers and spiritual support.”