About Saint Anthony of Padua · Okeene, Oklahoma
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church is a small Roman-Latin rite parish serving the Catholic faithful of Okeene, a town in Blaine County in northwest Oklahoma. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and is pastored by Reverend Damian Okoye, who also shepherds the parish's two mission churches: St. Ann in Fairview and St. Thomas the Apostle in Seiling. The current church building, completed in 1924 after earlier structures were destroyed by storms in the early 1900s, is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Oklahoma and is recognizable by its gold spire rising above the town. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish across its three-church cluster.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- Saint Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Reverend Damian Okoye
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City)
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua offers a warm, traditional Catholic home for the small but faithful Catholic community of Okeene and the surrounding Blaine County countryside, with daily and Sunday Mass celebrated several times a week — including a Spanish-language Mass for the area's Hispanic Catholics. Parishioners worship in a landmark 1924 church whose stained-glass Stations of the Cross and gold spire draw visitors from across northwest Oklahoma. As the hub of a tri-parish cluster that also includes St. Ann in Fairview and St. Thomas the Apostle in Seiling, St. Anthony's gives Catholics in this part of rural Oklahoma a stable, ongoing sacramental presence under the care of one pastor, Reverend Damian Okoye.
Mass times at Saint Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Anthony of Padua, Okeene
Catholic worship in Okeene began with a small church built in May 1900. That first structure was destroyed by a violent windstorm in 1905, rebuilt, destroyed again the same year, and a third building was hit in 1907. The community pressed on, and in 1904 Father Joseph Francis — the first resident pastor — moved the parish to its present location on South 5th Street. The present-day church, begun in December 1921 and completed in 1924 at a cost of $85,000, was built largely with donated labor and materials from parishioners and the wider Okeene community. It stands today as one of the oldest churches in Oklahoma.
- First Catholic church in Okeene built May 1900
- Destroyed by storms in 1905, rebuilt and destroyed again in 1905
- Third building struck in 1907
- Fr. Joseph Francis, first resident pastor, relocated parish to current site in 1904
- Construction of current church began December 20, 1921
- Church completed in 1924 at a cost of $85,000
Architecture and Features
St. Anthony of Padua's 1924 church is a recognizable landmark in northwest Oklahoma, identified primarily by its gold spire that can be seen rising on the horizon as travelers approach Okeene from the south. The interior is celebrated for its stained-glass Stations of the Cross — described by TravelOK as 'stained glass masterpieces of the artist's representation depicting Christ carrying the cross' — and is regarded as an architectural beauty of the region. The construction drew heavily on local generosity: excavation, sand, and the hauling of brick and stone were all donated by the community.
- Gold spire visible from the south approach to Okeene
- Stained-glass Stations of the Cross
- One of the oldest churches in Oklahoma
- Built of donated brick and stone, completed 1924
Cluster of Parishes
St. Anthony of Padua is the parent parish of a three-church cluster that brings Catholic Mass and sacraments to a wide, rural stretch of northwest Oklahoma. In addition to the Okeene church, the parish oversees St. Ann in Fairview (about 22 miles northwest) and St. Thomas the Apostle in Seiling (about 55 miles west). One priest, Reverend Damian Okoye, pastors all three communities.
- St. Ann, Fairview (mission)
- St. Thomas the Apostle, Seiling (mission)
- All three parishes served by Fr. Damian Okoye
Spanish-Language Ministry
St. Anthony of Padua celebrates a Spanish-language Mass every Sunday at 4:00 p.m., serving the Hispanic Catholic population of Okeene and surrounding Blaine County. It is one of the few regular Spanish Masses in this part of rural northwest Oklahoma.
- Sunday 4:00 p.m. Spanish Mass at St. Anthony of Padua, Okeene
Visiting and Directions
The parish is located in the heart of Okeene at 211 South 5th Street. From OK-8, travelers take OK-51 east one block, then go south one and a half blocks; the church sits on the left (east) side of the street. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone at (580) 822-3544.
- Address: 211 S 5th St, Okeene, OK 73763
- Phone: (580) 822-3544
- From OK-8: OK-51 east one block, then south 1.5 blocks
- Parish hall: Holy Family Hall, same address
Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Anthony of Padua by phone or email, and the parish is listed in the official Archdiocese of Oklahoma City parish finder.
- Address: 211 S 5th St, Okeene, OK 73763
- Phone: (580) 822-3544
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: archokc.org/parishfinder
Diocese and Wider Catholic Life
St. Anthony of Padua is a parish of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which was erected as the Diocese of Oklahoma in 1905, became the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa in 1930, and was raised to an archdiocese in 1972. The Archdiocese serves more than 120,000 Catholics across central and western Oklahoma, covering 46 counties and 42,470 square miles. Fr. Damian Okoye appears in the Archdiocese's official priests directory as pastor of the St. Anthony / St. Ann / St. Thomas the Apostle cluster.
- Jurisdiction: Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
- Diocese erected 1905; archdiocese 1972
- Listed in archokc.org priests directory under Fr. Damian Okoye
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Joseph Francis1904–
First resident pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, Okeene. In 1904 he moved the church from the north part of Okeene to its present location on South 5th Street.