About Immaculate Conception · Marlow, Oklahoma
Immaculate Conception Church is a Catholic mission parish in Marlow, Oklahoma, served from the mother parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in nearby Duncan. Worship has been offered to Marlow-area Catholics on this site since 1904, when local families — most notably the Wade family — donated land and built the original frame church at the corner of 4th and Comanche Streets. The mission sits within the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and continues a century-old tradition of the faithful of the southern Stephens County community gathering for Sunday Mass, sacraments, and devotions under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The original 1904 church was preserved by the community in 1997 and moved to Redbud Park, where it lives on as the non-denominational Redbud Chapel.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Oby J. Zunmas
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a small, close-knit Catholic mission where the faithful of Marlow and the surrounding Stephens County countryside have gathered around the altar for more than a century. Visitors are welcomed to the Sunday morning liturgy, weekday devotions, and the sacraments — including Reconciliation before Mass and OCIA inquiry classes for adults seeking to enter the Church — all served by the priests and deacons of the Assumption parish family in Duncan. Whether you are a lifelong Catholic, a returning parishioner, or simply curious about the faith, you will find a community that has kept the door open since 1904.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:30 AM – 7:55 AM (before Mass)
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 5:15 PM – 5:45 PM (30 minutes before daily Mass)
About Immaculate Conception Mission
Immaculate Conception is a mission of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Duncan, Oklahoma, and one of the parishes of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The mission has served the Marlow community in southern Oklahoma since 1904. Like many small Oklahoma missions, it has no resident priest of its own and is cared for by the priests and deacons of the Duncan parish who travel in for liturgy and sacraments. The mailing address is at 4th and Comanche Streets, with the parish phone (580) 255-0590 shared with the Duncan office.
- Type: Mission church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Duncan
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
- Liturgical rite: Roman-Latin
- Phone: (580) 255-0590
History of the Marlow Catholic Community
Catholic life in Marlow began with rare visiting Masses at the turn of the twentieth century, when families had to endure a three-hour horse-and-buggy ride to attend Mass every six weeks. Father Elias Fink, O.S.B., of Chickasha celebrated the first known Mass in Marlow around 1900, and the Belgian-born Father Urban de Hasque, pastor of Chickasha, took up the mission soon after. Local banker T.L. Wade hosted Masses in his home and on December 1, 1902 donated land at 4th and Comanche for a permanent church. The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was built in 1904 and dedicated on November 22, 1904.
- 1900 — First occasional Mass in Marlow by Father Elias Fink, O.S.B. (Chickasha)
- 1901 — Father Urban de Hasque, a Belgian, becomes pastor of Chickasha and begins regular visits to Marlow
- Dec 1, 1902 — T.L. Wade donates land at 4th and Comanche
- 1904 — Church built; dedicated November 22, 1904
- 1905 — Strong wind moves the building ~20 feet off its foundation; it is reset and continues in use
- 1997 — New sanctuary planned; old church donated to the City of Marlow and moved to Redbud Park on April 25, 1997, where it becomes Redbud Chapel
Becoming Catholic — OCIA
Adults (18 and older) interested in learning about and joining the Catholic faith are invited to the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) Catholic Faith Inquiry Classes. Sessions are held on Sundays in the Parish Hall Room of the Religious Education Building, with new inquiry cycles typically beginning in mid-September. Inquiries can be directed to the parish office or to Mike Radtke at 580-606-0283.
- Who: Adults 18+ not yet Catholic or seeking full initiation
- When: Sunday classes, beginning in September (e.g. September 14 after the 10 a.m. Mass at Duncan)
- Where: Parish Hall, Religious Education Building
- Contact: Mike Radtke — 580-606-0283
Parish Staff
Immaculate Conception Mission is served by the clergy and staff of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish in Duncan. The team includes the pastor, two deacons, the parish secretary, and the director of religious education.
- Rev. Oby J. Zunmas — Pastor (580-255-0590, ext. 102)
- Deacon James M. Conway — [email protected]
- Deacon Manuel Garcia
- Patricia Neal — Parish Secretary ([email protected], ext. 101)
- Maria Martinez — Religious Education Director (580-560-5609)
The Marlow Mission & Redbud Chapel
The little 1904 church that once stood on the corner of 4th and Comanche is preserved today as Redbud Chapel in Marlow's Redbud Park, nestled along Wild Horse Creek. After a community-wide 'Save the Church' campaign that raised more than $20,000 in just a few weeks, professional movers from Lawton relocated the original Immaculate Conception building nearly three-quarters of a mile on April 25, 1997. The chapel was rededicated as a non-denominational community space for weddings, prayer, services, and community events, and remains one of the cornerstones on which Marlow honors its heritage.
- Original church built: 1904 (dedicated November 22, 1904)
- Land donor: T.L. (Tom) Wade, local Marlow banker
- Moved: April 25, 1997 to Redbud Park
- Funds raised by community: $20,000+ in a few weeks
- Today: known as Redbud Chapel, non-denominational community chapel
Holy Week & Easter at the Mission
Each year Immaculate Conception hosts the evening Holy Thursday Mass and the afternoon Good Friday service for the Marlow mission, while the bilingual Holy Saturday Vigil and the Spanish-language liturgies take place at the Duncan church. Easter Sunday returns to the Marlow mission's normal 8:00 a.m. schedule.
- Holy Thursday — 5:00 PM (Marlow)
- Good Friday — 3:00 PM (Marlow)
- Holy Saturday Vigil — 8:00 PM (Duncan, bilingual)
- Easter Sunday — 8:00 AM (Marlow), 10:00 AM (Duncan)