About Our Lady of Victory · Purcell, Oklahoma
Our Lady of Victory is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Purcell, Oklahoma (McClain County), part of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Founded in 1886 — making it one of the oldest Catholic parishes in south-central Oklahoma — the parish is now on its third church building, a Romanesque-style structure dedicated in 1952 that still houses the altar and reredos salvaged from Oklahoma City's Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The parish serves both English- and Spanish-speaking faithful (Sunday Mass is offered in both languages) and is supported by a strong lay ecosystem including the Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul conference, Charismatic Prayer Group, and Religious Education program led by DRE Maria Escobedo. The current pastor is Fr. Peter Jandaczek, assisted by Deacon Jose Ortiz.
- Established
- 1886
- Patron
- Our Lady of Victory (Our Lady of the Rosary)
- Rector
- Fr. Peter Jandaczek
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Why belong here
Our Lady of Victory offers a warm, bilingual community of faith in Purcell with three weekend Masses (two in English, one in Spanish) and daily Mass four days a week. The parish has a strong charitable and prayer life: its St. Vincent de Paul conference provides food and utility assistance to neighbors in need, the Knights of Columbus and Altar Society enliven the parish's social and spiritual life, and a Charismatic Prayer Group meets weekly. A robust Religious Education program prepares children for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, while Communion is regularly brought to the homebound. The parish's patron, Our Lady of Victory, is celebrated each October with a parish festival and procession.
Mass times at Our Lady of Victory
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Friday of the month, 7:00–8:00 PM
- Sunday, 12:15–12:45 PM
- By appointment
Parish History
Our Lady of Victory was founded in 1886 in Purcell, McClain County, Oklahoma — then Indian Territory — by Father Frank Rouqier, who also brought three Sisters of St. Francis to start St. Elizabeth School. The first church was a small wooden structure near the Canadian River that doubled as a school building during the week. Father Vincent Joly, OSB, the first resident pastor, moved the church in 1888 and built a second, dedicated March 21, 1892 under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory at a cost of $2,000; he died tragically young in 1894. The present Romanesque church — the parish's third — was dedicated by Bishop McGuinness on February 11, 1952, the project of Father A.O. Murphy. St. Elizabeth Academy, the second-oldest Catholic school in Oklahoma, served children here from the 1880s until closing in 1948.
- 1886 — Parish founded by Fr. Frank Rouqier; first wooden church near the Canadian River
- 1887–1905 — Parish administered by Benedictines (archives at Shawnee, OK)
- 1888 — Fr. Vincent Joly, OSB becomes first resident pastor; moves the original church
- 1892 — Second church dedicated March 21 under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory
- 1894 — Death of Fr. Vincent Joly, OSB; Bishop Meerschaert's eulogy
- 1948 — St. Elizabeth Academy closes after 60 years
- 1952 — Present Romanesque-style church dedicated Feb. 11 by Bishop McGuinness
- 1999 — Closely allied St. John the Baptist, Lexington closes
- Today — Bilingual parish serving English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics
Parish Staff & Clergy
Our Lady of Victory is led by Fr. Peter Jandaczek as pastor, with Deacon Jose Ortiz assisting. The lay staff supports faith formation, music, and parish administration.
- Fr. Peter Jandaczek — Pastor
- Deacon Jose Ortiz
- Ms. Maria Escobedo — Director of Religious Education / Safe Environment
- Ms. Mary Black — Parish Secretary
- Jacob Gonzales — Director of Music
- Angelica Ortiz — Spanish Music Director
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education at Our Lady of Victory prepares children for the Sacraments of Initiation and welcomes adults who wish to become Catholic. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion takes place during the second-grade year; Confirmation is a two-year process for high-school-aged candidates based on the 'Chosen' curriculum and includes large-group instruction, small-group discussion, retreats, and mission opportunities. RCIA-style inquiry ('Becoming Catholic') classes meet Sundays from fall through Easter and are open to anyone, with no pressure to enter the Church.
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — 2nd grade
- Confirmation — 10th grade or older, 2-year 'Chosen' curriculum with retreats and mission trips
- Becoming Catholic (RCIA) — Sunday classes, fall through Easter
- Parent meetings and retreat calendar issued in late September / early October
- DRE: Ms. Maria Escobedo
Parish Ministries & Organizations
A robust network of lay-led organizations enlivens parish life and reaches out to those in need. The St. Vincent de Paul conference provides direct food and utility assistance through a dedicated helpline (595-1087). The Knights of Columbus supports parish activities and hosts a monthly breakfast for Religious Education students. The Altar Society, Charismatic Prayer Group, and a 70s+ Support Group round out the pastoral care and fellowship offerings. Parish governance is shared with the Pastor through the Pastoral Council (meets 2nd Thursdays) and Finance Council (meets quarterly).
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — 2nd & 4th Sundays after late morning Mass; helpline 595-1087
- Knights of Columbus — 3rd Thursday at 7:00 PM; First-Sunday Religious Education breakfast
- Altar Society — 1st Sunday after 11:00 AM Mass (Sept–April)
- Charismatic Prayer Group — weekly evening meeting
- 70s+ Support Group — 2nd Monday at 2:00 PM (Sept–May)
- Pastoral Council — 2nd Thursday at 6:00 PM in the Annex
- Finance Council — quarterly
- Religious Education Committee — chaired by Gracie Montgomery
- Extraordinary Ministers of Communion — visit and bring Eucharist to the homebound
Sacraments
Our Lady of Victory celebrates all seven Sacraments. Baptisms of infants and children up to age 7 are celebrated during or after Sunday Mass (except during Lent) following a parent preparation session that covers the history, theology, rite, and symbols of Baptism, as well as godparent qualifications (canons 872–874). Marriage preparation requires contacting the pastor at least six months before the intended date, in accordance with archdiocesan policy. The Anointing of the Sick is celebrated communally during Mass in November and March and is available upon request for serious illness, before surgery, or when a condition worsens.
- Baptism — preparation class; godparent requirements per canon law
- Reconciliation & First Eucharist — 2nd grade
- Confirmation — 2-year process, 10th grade or older
- Marriage — 6-month preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — communal in November and March; by request
- Holy Orders — referrals to okcvocations.com
- Quinceañera — by inquiry to parish office
- Communion of the Sick — regular homebound visits; call 405-527-3077
- Funerals — parish staff assists families in arranging a church funeral
Parish Events & Devotions
The parish's patron feast — Our Lady of Victory, observed on October 7 in union with the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary — is celebrated each year with a Parish Festival: a procession with the statue of the Blessed Mother from the Parish Hall to the Church while reciting the Holy Rosary, followed by Mass and a multicultural fellowship dinner prepared by the Knights of Columbus (German/Polish sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, green beans), Ministerio Latino (tacos, Philly cheesesteak, fruit cups), and the Charismatic Group (beef enchiladas, chicken flautas). Other annual traditions include a Blessing of Pets and Animals around October 3 (feast of St. Francis of Assisi) behind the parish hall, with on-farm blessings available by appointment.
- Annual Parish Festival on the weekend nearest October 7 — procession, rosary, Mass, fellowship dinner
- Blessing of Pets and Animals — October 3 at 4:00 PM behind the parish hall
- Communal Anointing of the Sick — November and March during Mass
- Knights of Columbus Monthly Breakfast — First Sunday, 8:00–9:30 AM in the Parish Hall (during Religious Education year)
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at Our Lady of Victory is bilingual, with separate music directors for the English and Spanish Masses — Jacob Gonzales serves as Director of Music, and Angelica Ortiz as Spanish Music Director. The parish actively invites families to take turns bringing up the Offertory Gifts during Mass — a meaningful liturgical sign of presenting "the fruits of the earth and the work of human hands" — and a portable credit-card terminal in the church makes electronic giving easy for those without cash or envelopes.
- Director of Music: Jacob Gonzales
- Spanish Music Director: Angelica Ortiz
- Offertory Gift Bearers — sign up with the ushers at the back of the church
- Square credit-card terminal available in church for donations and parish payments
- Red-bucket change collection after Communion for the parish building fund
Architecture & Sacred Spaces
The present Our Lady of Victory church, dedicated in 1952, is built in the Romanesque style. When Oklahoma City's Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help remodeled its sanctuary with a new baldichino, the parish was given the cathedral's old altar and reredos, which now stand in Our Lady of Victory's sanctuary; accounts of the day say the stained-glass windows also came from the cathedral. The parish office, located at 501 N. 4th Street two blocks north and one block west of the church, shares campus life with the Parish Hall and Annex — the latter hosts the monthly Pastoral Council meeting and Sunday fellowship meals.
- Style: Romanesque (1952)
- Altar and reredos transferred from Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Oklahoma City
- Stained-glass windows likewise said to have come from the cathedral
- Parish Hall — used for Knights' breakfasts, Altar Society meetings, parish festival dinner
- Annex — meeting space for the Pastoral Council
Visiting & Contact
New parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. Registration cards are available at the entrance of the church and may be placed in the collection basket. The parish office is open during the week at 501 N. 4th Street (two blocks north and one block west of the church), reachable by phone at (405) 527-3077 or by email at [email protected]. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1280, Purcell, OK 73080.
- Office address: 501 N. 4th St., Purcell, OK 73080
- Rectory/church address: 316 W. Jefferson St., Purcell, OK 73080
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1280, Purcell, OK 73080
- Phone: (405) 527-3077
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: olvpurcell.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Frank Rouqier1886–c.1890
First pastor; mysterious figure of likely French-Canadian origin who founded St. Elizabeth School with three Sisters of St. Francis, then disappeared from parish records and later surfaced at the Quapaw Reservation before vanishing entirely from North American records.
- Fr. Vincent Joly, OSB1888–1894
First resident pastor; Benedictine from St. Benedict's, Shawnee. Moved the original church, built the second church dedicated March 21, 1892 under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory. Died tragically young in 1894; Bishop Meerschaert called him 'the flower of the clergy, most beloved by priest and people.'
- Fr. A.O. Murphymid-20th c.
Another Canadian-born priest who oversaw construction of the present Romanesque church, dedicated February 11, 1952 by Bishop McGuinness.
- Fr. Peter Jandaczekpresent
Current pastor.