About Saint Ann · Elgin, Oklahoma
Saint Ann Catholic Church in Elgin, Oklahoma, is a small rural parish in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the head of the Tri-Parish Catholic Community, which also includes Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sterling and Mother of Sorrows in Apache. The community was first established as a mission in 1907, with Mass initially offered by visiting priests from Lawton. The parish's story is one of faith, sacrifice, and neighborly generosity: the current church was built largely by parishioners' own labor in the late 1940s and named in memory of a Catholic Extension Society donor. Today Saint Ann offers weekday and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession, religious education, OCIA, confirmation classes, and a vibrant set of lay-led ministries.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- Saint Ann (named in memory of Anna A. Beckert, donor through the Catholic Extension Society)
- Rector
- Rev. Deva Undralla
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Why belong here
Saint Ann is the kind of small, tight-knit rural parish where every family is known by name and the work of the parish is shared by everyone — the church itself was built by parishioners' own hands in the 1940s, and that spirit of generosity is still visible in the life of the community today. Visitors and newcomers are welcomed into an active schedule of Sunday and weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, regular confession, and a full range of lay-led ministries including a Ladies Organization, Youth Group, music program, altar servers, Communion ministers and lectors, and a Prayer Line. Faith formation is a real priority, with religious education for kindergarten through high school, weekly Confirmation preparation, an OCIA process for adults inquiring about the Catholic faith, and an adult religious program that has run courses on Salvation History and the Book of Revelation.
Mass times at Saint Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:00 AM at St. Ann
- Saturday: 4:00 PM at Mother of Sorrows (Apache)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM at Our Lady (Sterling)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Other Thursday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM at St. Ann
- First Friday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM at St. Ann
- First Thursday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM at Our Lady (Sterling)
History of Saint Ann Parish
Catholic life in the Elgin area dates back to 1907. For its first several decades the community was served only by visiting priests — Father William Lamb came from Lawton for weekday Masses — and between 1910 and 1914 the congregation bought a former schoolhouse and turned it into a chapel called St. Anthony's. Elgin remained a chapel of convenience, without a regular Mass schedule, until 1941, when it was finally raised to the status of a mission. Under Rev. Michael McNamee, the people saved for a real church by donating money or livestock to a sinking fund; Bishop McGuinness secured a $5,000 Catholic Extension Society gift in memory of donor Anna A. Beckert, with the proviso that the new church bear her name. Construction began in November 1946, much of it done by the parishioners themselves, and the new St. Ann's was dedicated on May 11, 1948, by which time Rev. McNamee had been succeeded by Rev. Meis. The old chapel became a parish hall (replaced in 1967 by the current one). A rectory was built in 1997, allowing the pastor to move from Sterling to Elgin, and the mission at last became a full-fledged parish; new religious education classrooms followed in 2004.
- 1907 — Catholic community established in Elgin
- 1910–1914 — St. Anthony's chapel created from a former schoolhouse
- 1941 — Elgin raised from chapel to mission status
- May 11, 1948 — Current St. Ann's Church dedicated
- 1967 — New parish hall built
- 1997 — Rectory built; pastor resides in Elgin; mission becomes a full parish
- 2004 — New classrooms added for religious education
Tri-Parish Catholic Community
Saint Ann shares one pastor, one office, and one website with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sterling and Mother of Sorrows in Apache. The three parishes rotate the Sunday and weekday Mass schedule among them so every community has a regular weekend Mass, and lay-led ministries such as Religious Education, OCIA, Confirmation, and the Safe Environment program are coordinated across all three parishes through triparishok.org.
- Saint Ann — Elgin (Sunday 8:30 AM, Mon/Wed/Fri 8:30 AM)
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help — Sterling (Sunday 10:30 AM, Thu 8:30 AM)
- Mother of Sorrows — Apache (Sat Vigil 5:00 PM, Tue 4:30 PM)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for kindergarten through high school is offered at St. Ann on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM, immediately following the 8:30 AM Mass. Confirmation preparation meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM in Elgin. Adults who want to inquire about the Catholic faith join the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) on Wednesday evenings during the school year, also at 7:00 PM in Elgin. In addition, an Adult Religious Program offers occasional courses — past offerings include a 13-lesson course on Salvation History and a 24-week study of the Book of Revelation — designed for Catholic adults who want to deepen their understanding of the faith.
- K–HS Religious Education — Sunday 9:30 AM at St. Ann (DRE: Sarah Sminkey)
- Confirmation — Wednesdays, 7:00 PM in Elgin (Sarah Sminkey)
- OCIA (RCIA) for adults — Wednesdays during school year, 7:00 PM (Tom Biles)
- Adult Religious Program / Scripture Study (varied topics)
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Lay involvement is the heartbeat of the parish. Saint Ann has its own Parish Council chaired by Leonard Baker, a Ladies Organization led by Leslie Durham, and a Youth Group under Sarah Sminkey. Liturgical roles — music director, altar servers, Communion ministers, lectors — are filled by parishioners each Sunday, and the Prayer Line (coordinated by Clarice Pierce) connects those who want prayers offered on their behalf. Sherri Wooldridge serves as Tri-Parish Safe Environment coordinator.
- Parish Council — Chair: Leonard Baker
- Ladies Organization — Contact: Leslie Durham
- Youth Group — Contact: Sarah Sminkey
- Music Director — Mary Kilgore
- Altar Servers — Mary Cunningham
- Communion Ministers and Lectors — Anne Biles
- Prayer Line — Clarice Pierce
- Tri-Parish Safe Environment — Sherri Wooldridge
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all the usual sacraments: Reconciliation before each Sunday Mass and by appointment; Baptism and Marriage by arrangement through the parish office; First Communion as part of the Religious Education program; Confirmation on Wednesday evenings; and Anointing of the Sick on request. Visitors in need of a particular sacrament are encouraged to call the parish office during its Monday–Thursday hours.
- Reconciliation — Sun 8:00 AM at St. Ann; by appointment
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Communion — through Religious Education
- Confirmation — Wednesdays, 7:00 PM
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Staff and Pastoral Leadership
The pastor of the Tri-Parish Catholic Community is Rev. Deva Undralla. He succeeded Father Linh Ngoc Bui, who was appointed pastor of Saint Ann and its missions in 2023 and who died on September 20, 2025 from injuries suffered in an accidental fall through the sacristy ceiling of the church. Karen Jacobi serves as Secretary and is the primary contact for parish business; the parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
- Rev. Deva Undralla — Pastor ([email protected])
- Karen Jacobi — Secretary, (580) 492-5914
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM (closed Friday)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Lambbefore 1910
Came from Lawton to celebrate weekday Masses for the Elgin community.
- Rev. Michael McNamee1941–1947
Established the sinking fund and began construction of the new church; resigned due to illness in May 1947.
- Rev. Meis1947–
Succeeded Fr. McNamee and completed construction; the new St. Ann's Church was dedicated May 11, 1948.
- Rev. Linh Ngoc Bui2023–2025
Became pastor of Saint Ann and its missions in 2023; died Sept. 20, 2025 from injuries after a fall through the sacristy ceiling.
- Rev. Deva Undralla2025–
Current pastor, following the death of Father Bui.