About Holy Family Cathedral · Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Cathedral of the Holy Family is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, located at 810 South Boulder Avenue in downtown Tulsa. Built in the Neo-Gothic style between 1912 and 1914, its 240-foot triple-spired silhouette was the tallest structure in Tulsa until 1923 and remains one of the city's best-known landmarks. The parish, founded in the 1890s in Indian Territory, grew from 165 parishioners in 1905 to over 4,000 by 1917 and today is home to Holy Family Classical School (preK–12), a celebrated collection of Franz Mayer stained glass, a 40-piece icon collection on loan from the Cuesta Foundation, an Order of Christian Initiation program, and a Knights of Columbus Council that serves the homeless monthly.
- Established
- 1899
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Brian O'Brien (Rector of the Cathedral; the diocesan bishop, Most Rev. David Konderla, is canonically the pastor of the cathedral)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma
Why belong here
Holy Family Cathedral is the historic mother church of every Catholic parish in Tulsa, and parishioners speak of belonging to a community that has accompanied the city since the 1890s — including sheltering victims of the 1921 Race Riot. Active members can register for an unusually rich liturgical life: daily and Sunday Mass in the Neo-Gothic cathedral, Saturday confessions, a Knights of Columbus council that serves the Tulsa Day Center monthly, a parish-based classical school serving pre-K through 12th grade, a Home Improvement Ministry for fellow parishioners, RCIA / Order of Christian Initiation, and a unique devotional patrimony — Franz Mayer stained glass, the 40-piece Nancy Oliphant icon collection, and a growing reliquary of saints. Joining helps the pastoral staff know you in times of crisis and makes it easier to serve as a godparent or sponsor.
Mass times at Holy Family Cathedral
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays: 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
- 30 minutes before every Mass
Adoration times
- Available during scheduled hours — check the cathedral's website/calendar for current exposition times.
History of Holy Family Cathedral
Catholic worship in Tulsa began in the early 1890s when the Rev. William Ketcham of Muskogee obtained permission from Creek chief Legus Ferryman to build a church. The first Holy Family Church was dedicated September 10, 1899, on the block between Third and Fourth Streets and Elgin and Franklin Avenues. By 1908 it had been doubled in size; by 1910 it had again outgrown itself. Pastor John G. Heiring commissioned the present Neo-Gothic cathedral at Eighth and Boulder, designed by J.P. Curtin of the Tulsa firm Curtin, Winkler, and Macdonald (with an alternate plan by William P. Ginther of Akron that survives only as blueprints). Ground was broken May 23, 1912; the church was dedicated on April 1, 1914. The diocese was erected December 19, 1972, with Holy Family as its cathedral; the Cathedral, Rectory, and School were placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 1982.
- 1890 — Rev. William Ketcham begins periodic visits from Muskogee
- 1895 — Permission granted by Creek chief Legus Ferryman
- 1897 — Rev. Charles Van Hulse becomes first resident priest
- 1899 (Jan) — $1,400 subscription drive; (Sep 10) first church dedicated
- 1900 — Rev. Theophilius Van Hulse succeeds his brother
- 1906 — Rev. John G. Heiring becomes third pastor
- 1908 — Original church doubled in size
- 1912 (May 23) — Ground broken for present cathedral
- 1914 (Apr 1) — Cathedral dedicated
- 1919 — Rectory begun; school building begun in July
- 1921 — Church basement used as shelter during Tulsa Race Riot
- 1931 — Named co-cathedral of the Diocese of Tulsa and Oklahoma City
- 1972 (Dec 19) — Diocese of Tulsa established; Holy Family becomes see church
- 1982 (Feb 11) — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 2020 (Jan) — Parish school reorganized as Holy Family Classical School
Architecture & Building
The cathedral is a Neo-Gothic structure by architect J.P. Curtin of Curtin, Winkler, and Macdonald. The masonry load-bearing walls and steel-framed spires are faced with stone and brick; the building measures about 200 feet long, 74 feet wide at the nave, and 94 feet wide at the transept. Its three spires — representing the Holy Family — include a main spire of 240 to 251 feet faced with four large clocks. There are 163 windows, the great majority of stained glass; the cathedral has one of the largest Gothic altars in the United States and an interior capacity of about 800. The adjoining school building to the south houses the parish offices and Holy Family Classical School.
- Style: Neo-Gothic / Gothic Revival
- Architect: J.P. Curtin (Curtin, Winkler, and Macdonald, Tulsa)
- Alternate-plan architect: William P. Ginther (Akron, OH) — only blueprints survive
- Three spires, main spire 240–251 ft
- 163 windows (mostly stained glass); one of the largest Gothic altars in the U.S.
- Capacity: 800
- Building complex 1912–1927 (cathedral 1912–1914)
- Listed on NRHP since February 11, 1982 (NRIS #82003704)
The Franz Mayer Stained Glass
The cathedral's signature artwork is a cycle of stained glass windows depicting events in the Life of Christ, originally designed by Franz Mayer of Munich and manufactured by the Daprato Company of Chicago. Stained glass from the original 1899 Holy Family Church, after it was demolished, was salvaged and re-installed in the basement windows of the present cathedral.
- Designer: Franz Mayer of Munich
- Manufacturer: Daprato Company (Chicago)
- Subject: Events in the Life of Christ
- Salvaged original-1899 windows now in the basement
The 'Windows into Heaven' Icon Collection
Forty icons are on long-term loan to the Cathedral from the Cuesta Foundation, owned and managed by the Oliphant family, parishioners of Holy Family Cathedral. The collection was curated by the late Nancy W. Oliphant, an icon artist and collector who studied under Master Iconographer Br. Robert Lentz, O.F.M., and whose style blends Eastern and Western iconographic traditions. The icons are displayed in five cases — Images of the Saints, Images of Mary, Images of Christ, Images from Scripture, and More Saints — on the lower level whenever it is open.
- 40 icons on long-term loan from the Cuesta Foundation (Oliphant family)
- Curator: the late Nancy W. Oliphant
- Five display groupings by subject
Clergy & Staff
Canonically, the diocesan bishop is the pastor of the cathedral; a priest is appointed as Rector to lead the parish day-to-day. The current rector is Very Rev. Brian O'Brien. The bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma is Most Rev. David Konderla. Rev. Joshua Votruba serves as Parochial Vicar, and Rev. Msgr. Gregory Gier is Rector Emeritus (rector 1997–2014).
- Most Rev. David Konderla — Bishop, Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma
- Very Rev. Brian O'Brien — Rector of the Cathedral
- Rev. Joshua Votruba — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Msgr. Gregory Gier — Rector Emeritus
- Assistant to the Rector (per official website)
Past Rector Succession
From its 1899 founding until today, the parish has been led by a small number of pastors and rectors whose names are preserved in parish and diocesan records. The earliest three pastors served as itinerant or founding missionaries from Indian Territory; from the twentieth century forward the parish has been led by appointed pastors and (since the erection of the diocese in 1972) by rectors standing in the place of the bishop as canonical pastor.
- Rev. William Ketcham — visiting priest c. 1890–1897
- Rev. Charles Van Hulse — 1897–1900
- Rev. Theophilius Van Hulse — 1900–1906
- Rev. John G. Heiring (Msgr.) — 1906–c. 1921
- Rev. Msgr. James Halpine — rector under Bishop Slattery (predecessor to Msgr. Gier)
- Rev. Msgr. Gregory Gier — rector 1997–2014, now Rector Emeritus
- Very Rev. Brian O'Brien — current Rector
Holy Family Classical School
The school is the parish's largest ministry and traces its founding to 1899, when Mother Katharine Drexel — later canonized — funded St. Theresa's Institute for Creek Indian Girls. Three Sisters of Mount Carmel came from New Orleans to teach; they were replaced in 1902 by the Sisters of Divine Providence from San Antonio. The school was renamed Holy Family School in 1902 and began admitting children of all races in 1909. In January 2020 the school was reorganized as Holy Family Classical School, offering a classical Catholic curriculum from pre-K through 12th grade, with the motto 'Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Unity.'
- Founded 1899 as St. Theresa's Institute (Mother Katharine Drexel funding)
- Renamed Holy Family School 1902; integrated 1909
- Reorganized as Holy Family Classical School, January 2020
- Sisters of Mount Carmel (1899–1902), then Sisters of Divine Providence (from 1902)
- Current Headmaster: Dr. Alexander Skufca
- Grades served: PK3 through 12th
- Expected enrollment for 2026–2027: 270+
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Parish life at the cathedral is anchored by the Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA / RCIA) for those entering the Church, the Knights of Columbus Council 10388, a Home Improvement Ministry that assists fellow parishioners with minor repairs four times a year, and a growing collection of saints' relics for veneration. The Knights of Columbus run a Homeless Outreach on the first Saturday of each month at the Tulsa Day Center, where they routinely prepare and serve meals to 80+ individuals.
- Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA / RCIA)
- Knights of Columbus Council 10388 — Homeless Outreach (first Saturday at Tulsa Day Center)
- Home Improvement Ministry — quarterly Saturday workdays
- Relics of the saints / veneration program
- Parish music and choirs
- Catholic Charities board involvement
Devotions & Relics
The cathedral maintains a growing collection of relics of inspirational saints for veneration by the faithful, supplementing its visual patrimony of stained glass and icons.
Cathedral Square & Cathedral Block
The Holy Family Cathedral Block occupies a full city block in downtown Tulsa and is part of the larger Cathedral Square Historic District, named for its concentration of fine ecclesiastical architecture. In addition to the cathedral itself, the block includes the historic rectory (122 W. 8th St.) and the Holy Family School (820 S. Boulder Ave.), with the diocesan Catholic Center at 824 S. Boulder. The small city-owned Cathedral Square park, with its fountain and wrought-iron benches, unifies the district.
- Cathedral, Rectory, and School — listed on NRHP 1982
- Larger Cathedral Square District noted for ecclesiastical architecture
- Cathedral Square public park with fountain and wrought-iron benches
Visiting the Cathedral
The Visitors' Guide on the cathedral's website explains parking, accessibility, sacraments for visitors, and what to see. Visitor parking is at 9th & Boulder (enter from Boulder Avenue), with additional weekend parking available. A ramp leads to accessible entrances on the east side of the cathedral, with an accessible restroom just inside that entrance and an elevator in the south transept. Water fountains and large accessible restrooms are in the basement. The icon collection can be seen on the lower level whenever it is open; the Franz Mayer windows are visible at every Mass.
- Parking: 9th & Boulder (always) plus extra weekend spaces
- Accessible entrance on east side off Boulder Avenue
- Low-gluten hosts available at all weekend Masses
- Parish offices and school in the school building south of the cathedral (ring doorbell)
Construction & Restoration
The cathedral is in the middle of a major project to replace its iconic roof with solid copper shingles — a restoration befitting the building's status as both a Tulsa landmark and a National Register property.
- Roof replacement with solid copper shingles
- Three spires (Holy Family) central to the project
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Ketchamc. 1890–1897
Pastor of Muskogee who visited Tulsa to celebrate Mass in a private residence; with Bishop Meerschaert, obtained permission from Creek chief Legus Ferryman to build a church in Tulsa.
- Rev. Charles Van Hulse1897–1900
First resident priest; began monthly visits from Muskogee in November 1897; oversaw the $1,400 subscription drive and construction of the first Holy Family Church, dedicated September 10, 1899.
- Rev. Theophilius Van Hulse1900–1906
Succeeded his brother Charles; served until 1906.
- Rev. John G. Heiring (Msgr.)1906–c. 1921
Third pastor; oversaw the doubling of the original church (1908), the move to the present Eighth and Boulder site, the building of the 1914 cathedral and the 1919 rectory/school; founded St. John's Hospital; opened the church basement as a shelter during the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot.
- Rev. Msgr. James Halpinec. 1970s–1983
Rector of the Cathedral under Bishop Slattery; one of the first two Monsignors of the diocese.
- Rev. Msgr. Gregory Gier1997–2014
Rector for 17 years; previously pastor of Christ the King, Tulsa for 13 years; ordained May 27, 1967; served churches in Oklahoma City, Bartlesville, Dewey, Muskogee, and Ponca City; on the board of Catholic Charities of Tulsa and vocational director for the diocese; now Rector Emeritus.
- Very Rev. Brian O'Brienpresent
Current Rector of the Cathedral.