About Mother of Sorrows · Apache, Oklahoma
Mother of Sorrows is a small Catholic mission church in Apache, Oklahoma, established in 1902 and one of three parishes in the Tri-Parish Catholic Community, alongside St. Ann in Elgin and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sterling. It falls under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and is served from St. Ann's parish office. The mission is rooted in the homesteading era, when Belgian missionary priests first brought the faith to the newly opened Comanche-Kiowa-Caddo reservations, and it continues today as a weekend worship site with its own religious education program.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Mother of Sorrows)
- Rector
- Rev. Deva Undralla
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Why belong here
Mother of Sorrows offers a small, historic worship community where Mass is celebrated weekly in the same town the first Catholic missionaries served in 1901. As part of the Tri-Parish Catholic Community, members benefit from shared Catholic life across Apache, Elgin, and Sterling — including on-site religious education for kindergarten through high school (Saturdays at 6:00 PM with DRE Mike Farrell), Confirmation preparation, OCIA for adults inquiring into the Catholic faith, a Prayer Line, and connection to broader archdiocesan events such as visits by Archbishop Coakley. It is a welcoming, mission-sized parish rooted in over a century of faith in southwestern Oklahoma.
Mass times at Mother of Sorrows
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM at Mother of Sorrows (per triparishok.org)
- Tuesday: 4:00–4:25 PM at Mother of Sorrows (per Discover Mass)
- Saturday: 4:30–4:55 PM at Mother of Sorrows (per Discover Mass)
- Or by appointment
History of Mother of Sorrows
Mother of Sorrows was founded in 1902 as a mission church for the brand-new town of Apache, Oklahoma. The community had been opened for homesteading only months earlier on the former Comanche-Kiowa-Caddo reservations, and the Catholic faithful were gathered and served by Belgian missionary priests from Chickasha and Lawton before Apache received its own resident priest in 1907.
- November 27, 1901 — First Mass celebrated by Fr. Urban de Hasque in George Rose's building.
- April 9, 1902 — Bishop Meershaert visits to consider real estate for a church.
- 1904 — First church built under direction of Rev. William Huffer of Lawton.
- After Christmas 1905 — Original building moved to the present, more spacious site.
- 1907–1925 — Fr. Frederick Van der Aa serves as first resident priest; builds the rectory.
- Today — Mission of St. Ann's, Elgin, within the Tri-Parish Catholic Community.
Religious Education and Youth Faith Formation
Religious Education for kindergarten through high school at the Apache mission meets on Saturday at 6:00 PM, coordinated by DRE Mike Farrell. Confirmation preparation is shared across the Tri-Parish and meets Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in Elgin (contact Sarah Sminkey).
- RE K–HS at Apache: Saturday 6:00 PM — DRE Mike Farrell
- Confirmation: Wednesdays, 7:00 PM in Elgin — Sarah Sminkey
- Tri-Parish Safe Environment: Sherri Wooldridge
Becoming Catholic — OCIA
Adults inquiring about the Catholic faith join the Tri-Parish OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. It combines weekly academic formation on Wednesday evenings (about 90 minutes) with spiritual formation via Sunday dismissal from Mass.
- Academic formation — Wednesdays, 7:00 PM, ~90 minutes
- Spiritual formation — Sunday dismissal to discuss the day's scriptures
- Contact: Deacon Tom Biles ([email protected]) or Karen Jacobi at the parish office
Parish Staff and Organizations
Mother of Sorrows is pastored by Rev. Deva Undralla and shares staff and lay leadership with St. Ann's, Elgin and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sterling. The Apache parish council is chaired by Dennis Porter. Music, lectors, communion ministers, and altar servers are organized Tri-Parish-wide.
- Pastor — Rev. Deva Undralla ([email protected])
- Parish Secretary — Karen Jacobi, (580) 492-5914, [email protected]
- Parish Council Chair (Apache) — Dennis Porter
- Music Directors (Tri-Parish) — Mary Kilgore (Elgin), Susan Milam (Sterling)
- Tri-Parish Safe Environment — Sherri Wooldridge
- Deacon Tom Biles — OCIA
Patron and Feast
Mother of Sorrows is dedicated to the Sorrowful Virgin Mary. The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on September 15 throughout the universal Roman Catholic Church — the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross — a devotion shaped especially by the Servites and made universal by Pope Pius VII in 1814 and given its current date by Pope St. Pius X.
- Patron: Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa)
- Feast: September 15
- Devotion associated with the Stabat Mater and the Seven Sorrows of Mary
Tri-Parish Catholic Community
Mother of Sorrows is one of three parishes in the Tri-Parish Catholic Community of southwestern Oklahoma, sharing a pastor, office, bulletin, religious education, and major events. The other two are St. Ann's in Elgin (the canonical parish to which Apache is a mission) and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sterling.
- St. Ann's, Elgin — 8492 State Highway 17 (OK-17), Elgin, OK 73538; (580) 492-5914; Weekend Masses Sat 4:30 PM, Sun 8:30 AM; Daily Mass Mon/Wed/Fri 8:30 AM.
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sterling — established 1902; chapel from 1910 became a full parish in 1997; Weekend Mass Sun 11:30 AM; Daily Mass Thu 8:30 AM.
- Mother of Sorrows, Apache — established 1902; Weekend Mass Sat 5:00 PM; Daily Mass Tue 4:30 PM.
- Shared office: 8492 OK-17, Elgin, OK 73538; P.O. Box 10; [email protected]; Office hours Mon–Thu 7:30 AM–3:00 PM.
Contact and Location
All administrative contact for Mother of Sorrows is handled through the Tri-Parish office at St. Ann's in Elgin. The church itself stands on East Wallace Avenue in Apache, in Caddo County.
- Address: 521 East Wallace Avenue, Apache, OK 73006
- Tri-Parish Office: 8492 OK-17 (State Highway 17), Elgin, OK 73538; P.O. Box 10
- Phone: (580) 492-5914
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Bulletin deadline: Monday noon
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Urban de Hasque1901–early 1900s
Young Belgian priest who celebrated the first Mass in Apache on November 27, 1901 and returned monthly from Chickasha.
- Rev. William Huffer1900s
Pastor of Lawton who oversaw the establishment and building of the Apache church in 1904.
- Rev. Frederick Van der Aa1907–1925
First resident priest of Apache; built the rectory east of the church.