JUN 2021
In This Issue: 3 Redefining Love Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus 4 Women’s Club Back Together Once Again, Supporting Our Cathedral Parish and Community 6 Don’t Take a Vacation From Stewardship This Summer 7 Meet Parishioners Christina Saveth and Nick Clark
HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
PARISHIONER DAVE ISKI REFLECTS ON THE BLESSINGS OF OUR SACRISTAN MINISTRY: “Your Life Will Never Be the Same”
H
ave you ever noticed how beautifully prepared our sanctuary is for each and every Mass? The altar sits ready for the celebration of the Eucharist, the holy vessels gleam, and the liturgical books are right where they belong. All of these details come together to provide a peaceful and reverential atmosphere for worship, though many of us may not know who we have to thank for ensuring that the sanctuary remains such a sacred haven — our parish sacristans. Parishioner Dave Iski has been a sacristan for the 12:05 p.m. daily Mass at Holy Family Cathedral for close to a year. Last fall, Fr. Kastl picked up on the fact that Dave had recently started reading at the daily Mass and always arrived about 15 minutes before noon, so he invited him to serve as a sacristan. “Fr. Kastl is the one who got me going,” Dave says. “He asked if I wanted to be a sacristan and I told him what was in my heart, ‘Father, I’m here to serve the Lord by serving you, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.’ I converted
Daily Mass Sacristan Dave Iski with Fr. Kastl
continued on page 2 8TH STREET & BOULDER AVE • TULSA, OK 74119 • (918) 582-6247 • TULSACATHEDRAL.COM
HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL Dave Iski Reflects on the Blessings of Our Sacristan Ministry continued from front cover to Catholicism in 1998, and I had been a bump on the pew for years — going to Mass but not to any parish meetings or activities. But now, God is calling and calling me.” Holy Family Cathedral is blessed to have dedicated parishioners serving as sacristans for each Mass. To prepare the sanctuary for the liturgy, they first unlock the cathedral and turn on all the lights. Then, in the sacristy, they prepare the sacred vessels, including the chalice and the cruets of water and wine. They also check the tabernacle to see if there is a sufficient number of hosts for the upcoming Mass. While most of the work of a sacristan happens behind the scenes, it is nonetheless essential to the celebration of the liturgy. It also allows our priests a little extra time before the Mass to dedicate to one of their many pastoral duties. “My theory is that my being there a half-hour early — unlocking the doors, setting up the sacred vessels, getting everything ready — that is time that Fr. Kastl and Fr. Carvajal can finish something that is far more important,” Dave says. “And I believe that by me doing this, there will be a time that they are on the phone or talking with someone, and that may be the person’s last day on earth. By setting up for the Mass, I’m freeing the priest to spend those last few minutes with them. I honestly believe that.” As a sacristan, Dave has found that his quiet moments in the Lord’s house have deepened his faith and intimacy with Christ. Typically, when Dave first arrives and unlocks the cathedral, he takes some time to sit in the empty sanctuary, reflecting on the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle and praying the Rosary. “I’m taking a personal opportunity to spend time alone with my Savior,” Dave says. “It has taken my spiritual journey to a whole new level. I’m just over-
whelmed at this. One of the deacons asked me one day how it felt when I check the tabernacle to see if we need more Host for the Mass, to know you are looking at Jesus. And it just gives me goosebumps, knowing this is not a story — it’s real. My Lord is right here.” Feeling so richly blessed by his experience as a sacristan, Dave would encourage anyone who may be interested in living out more intentional discipleship to prayerfully consider serving the parish in this special way. “It has taken my spiritual life to such a wonderful depth,” he says. “Being a sacristan, I would tell people to run to get to the front of the line. Your life will never be the same.”
“I’m taking a personal opportunity to spend time alone with my Savior. It has taken my spiritual journey to a whole new level. I’m just overwhelmed at this. One of the deacons asked me one day how it felt when I check the tabernacle to see if we need more Host for the Mass, to know you are looking at Jesus. And it just gives me goosebumps, knowing this is not a story — it’s real. My Lord is right here.” — DAVE ISKI
Are you interested in training to be a sacristan for Holy Family Cathedral? If so, please contact Monica Conro at 918-582-6247, ext. 105, or mconro@tulsacathedral.com.
2
JUN 2021 A Letter from Our Rector
Redefining Love
Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Dear Parishioners,
O
ne of the great feasts of the Christian year will occur in June, but it is often overlooked. It doesn’t fall on a Sunday, and it isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation. I am referring to the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be on June 11 this year. This wonderful feast provides a great way to begin the summer. However, despite widespread devotion and many parish dedications to the Sacred Heart, many Catholics have only a vague idea of what it’s all about. So, let me try to briefly fill in the picture. Often, when we think of the heart, we think of it as the seat of our emotions and feelings. The heart is often contrasted with the mind. But feelings come and go — we can’t really depend on our emotions to be reliable, steady guides. However, when classical theology refers to the heart, it is considering an aspect of human life that goes beyond our feelings. It includes our will, where we make decisions. The heart can be considered the center of our personhood. In explaining Christian teaching about human nature, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The spiritual tradition of the Church also emphasizes the heart, in the biblical sense of the depths of one’s being, where the person decides for or against God” (368). It is common to mistakenly label love as an emotion. Love often includes feelings, but true love is more than that. Real love is a settled attitude that wants the best for the person being loved. That’s why the Church’s teaching usually uses the term “charity,” to distinguish the Christian virtue from the more superficial popular concept of love. The Catechism tells us, “Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God… Jesus makes charity the new commandment. By loving his own ‘to the end,’ he makes manifest the Father’s love which he receives. By loving one another, the disciples imitate the love of Jesus which they themselves receive” (CCC, 1822-1823).
This sort of love, this charity — demonstrated by Jesus Christ and commanded to His followers — is no lightweight passing emotion. Feelings alone do not bring one to offer oneself to an agonizing death for the sake of someone else. No, that sort of sacrifice can only come from a considered and deliberate decision. Although we sometimes forget that fact, Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine. So His human heart was involved in His sacrifice on the Cross. Thus, simply put, devotion to the Sacred Heart reminds us of the basic fact that God loves us. It was a costly love, the ultimate act of charity, to give His life on our behalf. We know the kind of love Jesus has for us. What kind of loving response are you going to make? How will that affect your use of your time, talent and treasure? Sincerely yours in Christ,
Very Rev. Gary D. Kastl Rector
3
HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL
Women’s Club M
Folks gathering at the Mardi Gras event
(From left) Anne Sellars and Cathy Caldwell serving as cashiers at the garage sale
The Women’s Club Baby Shower Luncheon in support of Madonna House 4
any of us spent more than a year separated from extended family and friends. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we may have taken these things for granted. However, we now realize that time with others, in person, is truly a gift. The Holy Family Cathedral Women’s Club feels blessed to be able to get together and share in this gift once again. “It was exciting and really great to see the ladies that I haven’t seen in a full year,” says Ann Owen, who leads the Women’s Club. “It was nice to see faces again. It was kind of like coming home.” The mission of the Women’s Club is to “promote spiritual and social fellowship as well as Catholic education to the women attending Holy Family Cathedral, Tulsa, Oklahoma; to lend support to the rector, parish, diocese, and the community; and to assist whenever needed at the Cathedral.” The group started meeting again this past March and read the minutes from the most recent meeting, over a year ago in March 2020. They meet on the first Thursday of every school year month, excluding January, following the 12:05 p.m. Mass in the newly remodeled auditorium. Like so many other groups, the Women’s Club’s events and fundraisers were canceled in 2020. The women hope to have some of their fundraisers in 2021. Besides supporting our priests, the parish, and school needs, their fundraising efforts support many important organizations in Tulsa and beyond, including the Catholic Education Endowment Fund, Catholic Charities, Madonna House, Meals on Wheels, the Tulsa Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the National Council of Catholic Women, DaySpring Villa in Sand Springs, the St. Philip Neri Newman Student Center at the University of Tulsa, Day Center for the Homeless, and the Council of Catholic Women Priest Retirement Fund. The club members raise money by assisting at the Lenten dinners, the annual Mardi Gras event, funeral dinners, memorial Masses, and any other needs that arise at the Cathedral.
JUN 2021
Back Together Once Again, Supporting Our Cathedral Parish and Community To offer their support for local university students, the women make a meal for the University of Tulsa Newman Center students about twice per year. This year’s meal was a salad meal, which women dropped off to be shared by students on Good Friday. Ann has been involved in the Women’s Club for more than 30 years. Her mother, Jean Caldwell, was an active member, and Ann has carried the tradition forward. “I just love the community, getting together with the other ladies and sharing prayers,” Ann says. “I love being involved, and I hope we can do some of those usual activities again.” As Ann notes, it’s important to have a community of people who are there for you. Members of the Women’s Club can lean on each other in times of need. The group even has a prayer line of members, so when they are looking for a job, or if someone is ill, they can offer support for one another in prayer. “The Cathedral is a big place,” Ann says. “To get to know others is so nice. It’s wonderful to know the person sitting across the aisle from you.”
“I just love the community, getting together with the other ladies and sharing prayers. I love being involved, and I hope we can do some of those usual activities again.” — ANN OWEN
(From left) Paulette Barnes, Jane Sloan and Jean Caldwell at the Mardi Gras event
Baby shower gifts collected for Madonna House.
If you would like to learn more about the Women’s Club, please contact Ann Owen at anowen99@yahoo.com.
5
HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL Stewardship
Don’t Take a Vacation From Stewardship This Summer
E
veryone deserves a vacation. After nine busy months of school, kids get to enjoy the summer to relax and regroup before beginning a new grade. Employees, after diligently working long hours and dealing with stressful situations, deserve time away from the office to enjoy their favorite getaway. No one would argue that we need to mentally refresh our minds and bodies from time to time so that we can come back rejuvenated and ready to do our best. Taking a break from some things, however, is not a possibility. Take stewardship, for example. Imagine saying to yourself, “Well, this month I think I will not pray, I won’t share any of my talents with anyone in need, and I will hoard my treasure.” What would doing this accomplish? You certainly wouldn’t feel refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to be at your best. Instead, feelings of greed, selfishness and spiritual unrest may occur. Stepping back from being a good steward just doesn’t make sense. So, now that summer has arrived in full force and our leisure time each day has increased, how can we remain good stewards? It is likely that the regimented opportunities available during the school year are no longer available. Youth ministry and parish religious education formation may also be on summer break. So, where do you turn? How can you keep your faith alive? First and foremost, don’t stop praying. The slow-paced days of summer are a perfect time to quiet ourselves for a few moments and try to reconnect with God. Why not take a moment of your free time each day to read the Gospel or a spiritual reflection while lounging in a hammock?
6
Next, try to participate in an outreach program over the summer. Think of the life of Christ — everything He did on Earth was an act of service. Now, think of the gifts God has bestowed on you. He wants you to share them with others like He did, and summer gives us the time to do just that. If you like working with kids, you can volunteer at the Vacation Bible School by helping to decorate, organize or being a team leader for the younger children. If you are handy with tools, you may call Habitat for Humanity to see how you can help build a home for a family in need. Or, if you are musically inclined, you might share your singing or instrumental gifts with a local nursing home. Maybe you are good in the kitchen — if so, you could offer your culinary skills to a local soup kitchen or food bank. If you are a strong student, you could offer tutoring services to neighborhood kids to help prepare them for the next school year. No matter what gift God has given you, there is a way to share it. Getting paid for volunteering sometimes happens. And, if you have a summer job while on break, you’ll get a paycheck for sure. Have you ever taken an opportunity to think about sharing the first fruits of your check? As a young adult, returning a portion of your paycheck to God is an important thing to consider. Giving a portion back to Him is a way to say “thanks.” Whatever you do this summer, don’t take a break from being a good steward. Remember that the time God gives you is a gift. What you do with it — whether on vacation or not — is meant to give Him glory.
JUN 2021
MEET PARISHIONERS CHRISTINA SAVETH AND NICK
CLARK: Fostering a “Christ-Centered Relationship”
C
hristina Saveth remembers growinvolved in the Catholic young adult ing up Catholic and worrying if community. I knew it would be a the person she married would also be great way to meet new people.” Catholic. Then, she met Nick Clark. Nick walked into the brewery, “We never thought about not havand when a person approached him, ing a Catholic marriage,” Christina Nick told her that he was there to says. “We were both raised Catholic, meet a group. It was Christina who and from the beginning, we talked answered, “Catholic Beer Club?” and shared about our faith, going to From the start of their relationMass together, and praying together. ship, Christina and Nick prayed We wanted a strong successful Cathotogether. These moments of shared lic marriage.” prayer don’t need to take much time. Christina and Nick met through Christina remembers her parents saythe Tulsa Catholic Beer Club, which ing a little 30-second prayer together Christina started after hearing about before they started their day. Catholic Beer Club. “Praying as a couple is so impor“Catholic adults come together tant,” Nick says. “If we’re striving once a month at a brewery and meet to keep Christ at the center of our new friends while enjoying a drink relationship and our marriage, prayafter a long week,” Christina says. “I ing together and for each other is just knew they had them in different cities essential.” Christina Saveth and Nick Clark — an engagement all over the United States, but there After moving to Tulsa in 2018, photo taken at the Gathering Place wasn’t one in Tulsa.” Nick hadn’t registered at a parish and Their first gathering was in December 2017 at Roosfound himself going to different parishes but never really evelt’s downtown, and the second one was in January at having roots. During the pandemic, a friend encouraged the Prairie. There was a huge turnout, and that was the them to check out Holy Family. Nick and Christina startday Nick decided to check out Catholic Beer Club. ed attending the parish in 2020. “I found out about it on Facebook, and I had just “We were so drawn to it,” Christina says. “There’s moved to Tulsa that January after graduating from Oklasomething about the traditional aspects of the Mass at homa State,” Nick says. “I was looking for a way to get Holy Family. It draws you to the focal point of the Mass, continued on back cover
“One thing I have always thought was beautiful about Christ-centered relationships was that the couple ultimately has one goal. We want to get to heaven. You can’t do that without having Christ in the center of your relationship.” — CHRISTINA SAVETH 7
PO Box 3204 • Tulsa, OK 74101-3204 (918) 582-6247 • tulsacathedral.com
CHRISTINA SAVETH AND NICK CLARK
continued from page 7
and it’s where we could see ourselves setting roots down and having a family.” In the future, they’re hoping to become more involved in parish life, whether that means simply going to Coffee and Donuts or considering a liturgical ministry. “I would like to be an usher or a lector one day,” Nick says. “We were also talking about being sponsors for Becoming Catholic, mainly because it would be awesome to witness someone being received in the Catholic Church, but it would also be an opportunity for us to grow in our own faith lives.” Christina and Nick continue to grow in their faith lives together. Right now, they’re listening to the podcast The Bible in a Year. They’re hoping to set a foundation for their lives by com-
ing together in a Catholic marriage. “One thing I have always thought was beautiful about Christ-centered relationships was that the couple ultimately has one goal,” Christina says. “We want to get to heaven. You can’t do that without having Christ in the center of your relationship.” As Christina and Nick prepare for their marriage on July 31 at Holy Family, let’s remember to hold them in our prayers. “If it weren’t for the faith community, we wouldn’t be sitting where we are right now,” Christina says. “I am so thankful for opportunities offered through the parish and the diocese. They have formed my faith life and formed Nick’s faith life. I would encourage people to get involved and witness your faith grow.”
Christina Saveth and Nick Clark after the 10 a.m. Easter Mass, 2021