About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · Sterling, Oklahoma
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic mission church in Sterling, Oklahoma, in the southwestern part of the state, and is part of the Tri-Parish Catholic Community that also includes St. Ann Church in Elgin and Mother of Sorrows Church in Apache. Founded in 1902, it falls under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and is cared for pastorally from St. Ann in Elgin, where the resident pastor (currently Rev. Deva Undralla) and parish office are based. The mission's current church, built after a 1928 fire and dedicated in 1929, is the same building in which the faithful worship today, with a converted old school building serving as a fellowship hall and religious education classrooms.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Rector
- Rev. Deva Undralla
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Why belong here
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a small, faith-filled mission rooted in over 120 years of Catholic life on the Oklahoma plains, where farm families have worshipped together since 1902. The parish offers Sunday and weekday Mass, regular confession, monthly First Thursday adoration, a robust religious education program (K–High School) meeting on Wednesday evenings, youth groups, ladies' organizations, and a prayer line—all served by a tri-parish community that links Sterling with neighboring Elgin and Apache. For Catholics in the Sterling area looking for a welcoming, historically grounded parish where you can know your fellow parishioners and be known, Our Lady of Perpetual Help offers a genuine family of faith.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:00 AM (at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sterling)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Thursday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sterling)
About Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic mission in Sterling, Oklahoma, part of the Tri-Parish Catholic Community with St. Ann in Elgin and Mother of Sorrows in Apache. It is rooted in the agricultural settlement of southwest Oklahoma in the early 1900s, when Catholic farm families gathered for the first Mass in a parishioner's home in 1902.
- Type: Mission (of St. Ann, Elgin)
- Diocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
- Founded: 1902; first church built 1904
- Present church dedicated October 8, 1929
Parish History
The mission traces its beginnings to a home Mass offered by Rev. Urban de Hasque on August 21, 1902, and the first church was built in 1904 under Rev. William Huffer of Lawton. A fire destroyed the original church on December 22, 1928; the present church was built under Rev. James Wagner and dedicated by Msgr. G. Depretiere on October 8, 1929. A parish school was opened in 1909, closed in 1933, and re-opened in 1942 under Rev. Michael McNamee with Sisters of the Most Precious Blood from Wichita, Kansas. The 1909 school building still stands and is used as a fellowship hall and classrooms.
- 1902: First home Mass (Rev. Urban de Hasque)
- 1904: First church built (Rev. William Huffer)
- 1909: First parish school established
- 1910: First rectory built (Rev. Anthony Van der Grinten)
- December 22, 1928: Fire destroys the church
- October 8, 1929: Present church dedicated (Rev. James Wagner; Msgr. G. Depretiere)
- 1933: School closed by the school board
- 1942: New school and rectory built (Rev. Michael McNamee / Father Mac)
- 1997: Rectory built in Elgin; Sterling becomes a mission of St. Ann
- 2004: New religious education classrooms built
Clergy, Staff, and Parish Council
The Tri-Parish community is served by Fr. Deva Undralla, pastor, and Deacon Tom Biles, with Karen Jacobi as parish secretary at the central office in Elgin. The Sterling (ST) community has its own parish council chairperson, ministry leaders, and lay contacts.
- Rev. Deva Undralla — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon Tom Biles — OCIA contact ([email protected])
- Karen Jacobi — Secretary (Office: 580-492-5914; [email protected])
- Parish Council Chair (ST): Eddie King
- Tri-Parish Safe Environment: Sherri Wooldridge
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Children from Kindergarten through High School meet for religious education classes, with each parish site holding its own weekly session. Confirmation preparation takes place Wednesday evenings in Elgin for the whole tri-parish, and adults exploring the Catholic faith are welcomed into the OCIA process.
- Sterling RE: Wednesday 6:00 PM — DREs Janet Hanza & Mallory Geiger
- Elgin RE: Sunday 9:30 AM — DRE Sarah Sminkey
- Apache RE: Saturday 6:00 PM — DRE Mike Farrell
- Confirmation: Wednesdays, 7:00 PM in Elgin — Contact: Sarah Sminkey
- OCIA (Becoming Catholic): Weekly Wednesday evening classes plus Sunday dismissal for spiritual formation — Contact: Deacon Tom Biles
Liturgical Ministries (Sterling)
Parishioners serve the Sunday liturgy as musicians, altar servers, lectors, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
- Music Director (ST): Susan Milam
- Altar Servers (ST): Jeff Milam
- Communion Ministers and Lectors (ST): Monica Mindeman
Parish Organizations and Outreach
Beyond the liturgy, the Sterling community sustains a ladies' organization, a youth group, and a prayer line that links parishioners who request intercessory prayer with those who lift them up.
- Ladies Organization (ST): Anita Huitt
- Youth Group (ST): Helen Mansel & Monica Mindemann
- Prayer Line (ST): Clarice Pierce
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the parish's formal process for adults exploring the Catholic faith, whether unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or already baptized Catholic but preparing for Confirmation and Eucharist. The program pairs academic formation—weekly Wednesday evening classes at 7:00 PM lasting about an hour and a half—with spiritual formation, in which participants are dismissed from Sunday Mass to discuss the day's scriptures with a leader. Participation does not obligate anyone to complete the sacraments; everyone is welcome in the parish community at any stage of their journey.
- Academic Formation: Wednesdays, 7:00 PM
- Spiritual Formation: Sunday dismissal from Mass
- Contact: Deacon Tom Biles ([email protected])
- Contact: Karen Jacobi — (580) 492-5914, [email protected]
Contact, Office, and Directions
All three mission communities are administered from a single tri-parish office in Elgin. The office is open 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, and is closed on Friday; bulletin items are due by noon each Monday.
- Parish Office: 8492 State Highway 17, Elgin, OK 73538
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 10, Elgin, OK 73538
- Office Phone: (580) 492-5914
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM (closed Friday)
- Driving Directions: From OK-17, turn onto A Street and go north two blocks; the mission is on the right.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Urban de Hasque1902
Celebrated the first Mass in a parishioner's home on August 21, 1902.
- Rev. William Huffer (of Lawton)1904
Directed the establishment and building of the first church.
- Rev. Anthony Van der Grinten1910
Built the first rectory during his residency.
- Rev. James Wagner1928–1929
Rebuilt the church after the 1928 fire; the present church was dedicated in 1929.
- Rev. Michael McNamee (Father Mac)1942
Built the second rectory and a new school; Sisters of the Most Precious Blood from Wichita, Kansas taught grades 1–6.
- Rev. Deva Undrallapresent
Current pastor of the Tri-Parish Catholic Community, based at St. Ann, Elgin.