About Immaculate Conception · Seminole, Oklahoma
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a small Roman-Rite parish of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City serving the town of Seminole in central Oklahoma. The faith community gathers at 811 W. Wrangler Boulevard (State Highway 9) and offers Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, a Wednesday evening Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The parish, which is also the Catholic presence for Seminole State College, traces its origins to a 1927 mission served from Sacred Heart in Konawa and was formally established with its first recorded baptism on December 9, 1928.
- Established
- 1928
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph P. Schwarz
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception welcomes anyone seeking a small, multi-generational Catholic community in Seminole. The parish offers bilingual worship — Sunday Mass in English and Spanish — a Wednesday evening Mass with Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation before each Sunday Mass. It also serves as the Catholic presence for Seminole State College, reaching students, faculty, and staff, and its faith-formation (CCD) program actively forms children and youth in the Catholic tradition.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM (before English Mass)
- Sunday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (before Spanish Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (following the 6:00 PM Mass)
Our Story — A Parish Rooted in Seminole County
Immaculate Conception traces its roots to 1875, when French Benedictine missionaries Father Isidore Robot and Brother Dominic Lambert arrived in Indian Territory and founded Sacred Heart Mission in Konawa. Seminole was the last mission planted from that base, with visiting priests tending the local Catholic flock for decades. The mission became a regular parish on December 9, 1928, when Father Patrick McNamee baptized the first child in Seminole City Hall. The parish celebrated its 90th anniversary on December 8, 2018, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, with Mass concelebrated by Father Joseph Schwarz and Father Bala Mandagiri.
Buildings and Property
The parish has occupied three worship spaces over its history. The first was a rectory with a public chapel built by Father McNamee. The second, a wood-frame church built in 1938 under Father Martin Mulcahey, stood at Milt Phillips (then First Street) and Evans. The present brick church on State Highway 9 (Wrangler Boulevard) was built under Father Thomas Rabideau and dedicated for Easter Sunday 1962, after the old property was sold due to parking limitations. A new statue of Mary of the Immaculate Conception was placed at the site and dedicated by Father Schwarz on December 10, 2018.
Clergy
Immaculate Conception has been served by a long succession of priests, beginning with Irish-born Father Patrick McNamee in 1927. The parish's longest-tenured pastor was Father Thomas Rabideau, who served 46 years (1951–1997) and oversaw the move to the present site. Father Joseph P. Schwarz currently serves as pastor and was named Dean of the Northwest Deanery of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Father Bala (Balaswamy) Mandagiri served as associate pastor as of the 2018 anniversary.
- Rev. Joseph P. Schwarz — Pastor (current)
- Rev. Bala Mandagiri — Associate Pastor (2018)
- Rev. Don Wolf — former pastor
- Rev. Brendon Helbing — former pastor
- Rev. Nerio Espinoza — former pastor
- Rev. Basil Keenan — former pastor (1996–2013), first native Oklahoman to lead the parish
- Rev. Thomas Rabideau — pastor emeritus (1951–1997), died 1999
Faith Formation (CCD)
The parish operates a religious-education program (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine / CCD) for the formation of children and youth. The CCD ministry maintains a public-facing presence on Facebook under the handle 'catholicccd' for updates and parent communications.
- CCD / Religious Education for children
- Facebook: facebook.com/catholicccd/
Campus Ministry — Seminole State College
Immaculate Conception serves as the Catholic presence for Seminole State College. The parish welcomes students, faculty, and staff, inviting them to participate in the Sacraments, fellowship, and service opportunities of the faith community.
Altar Society
The Altar Society is a longstanding parish organization that supports the liturgical life of the church. In 2018 it was led by president Janette Minihan, who helped organize the 90th-anniversary reception in the parish hall.
Worship and Devotions
Beyond Sunday and weekday Mass, the parish devotes Wednesday evenings to Eucharistic Adoration, extending about 90 minutes after the 6:00 PM Mass. The bilingual Sunday schedule — with a noon Mass in Spanish — has been part of parish life since 1995, when Saint Gregory's Abbey helped launch it to serve the growing Hispanic Catholic community in the Seminole area.
Anniversary and Parish Life
The parish marked its 90th anniversary on December 8, 2018 — the Feast of the Immaculate Conception — with Mass followed by a reception in the church hall on Wrangler Boulevard. For the occasion, the church sign was refurbished, the façade and iconic rooftop cross were repainted, and a new statue of Mary of the Immaculate Conception was installed and dedicated by Father Schwarz on December 10. Janette Minihan, president of the Altar Society, organized invitations to past members and church dignitaries.
Visit Us
Immaculate Conception is located at 811 W. Wrangler Blvd., Seminole, OK 74868, on State Highway 9. The parish office can be reached at (405) 382-3602. Travelers coming from downtown Seminole can take US-270 two miles northwest, turn east (right) onto OK-9, and continue to the church on the south side of the divided highway, about 0.4 mile before US-377.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick McNamee1927–1934
First resident priest; Irishman born in Rangoon, sent from Belloc Abbey in France; celebrated the first baptism in the parish on Dec. 9, 1928; built a rectory with a public chapel.
- Rev. Martin Mulcahey1934–1942
Built the parish's first wooden church in 1938 at Milt Phillips & Evans, during the Great Depression.
- Rev. Claude Sons1942–1943
Served for one year during World War II.
- Rev. Eloi Joustou1943–1951
Oversaw construction of a brick church to replace the wooden one in 1949.
- Rev. Thomas Rabideau1951–1997
Wisconsin native; led the parish for 46 years; built the present church on State Highway 9 in 1962; pastor emeritus until 1998, then returned to Saint Gregory's Abbey; died 1999.
- Rev. Basil Keenan1996–2013
First native Oklahoman to lead the parish; returned to Saint Gregory's Abbey; died 2017.
- Rev. Don Wolf
Served after Father Keenan.
- Rev. Brendon Helbing
Served after Father Wolf.
- Rev. Nerio Espinoza
Served in recent years.
- Rev. Joseph P. Schwarz2018–present
Current pastor; concelebrated the 90th anniversary Mass in 2018; named Dean of the Northwest Deanery of the Archdiocese.