About Saint Catherine of Siena · Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
Saint Catherine of Siena is a Catholic mission parish in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, serving the small city of Garvin County in both English and Spanish. The parish traces its origin to October 2, 1949, when Bishop Eugene McGuinness of Oklahoma sent Father Joseph Duffy of Salford, England, to minister to the Catholics of Pauls Valley; he offered his first Mass at the local Stuffelbean Funeral Home, and by spring of 1950 had built the first church and rectory with funds donated by Katherine Price of Philadelphia, in whose honor the mission was dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena. It is currently a mission attached to the Church of Our Lady of Victory in nearby Purcell within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, and it ministers especially to Spanish-speaking Catholics through regular Spanish-language Masses, a Spanish Charismatic Renewal prayer group, and prison outreach at the Joseph Harp and LARC correctional centers in Lexington.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena (Santa Catalina de Siena)
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City (Mission of the Church of Our Lady of Victory, Purcell)
Why belong here
Saint Catherine of Siena is a close-knit bilingual Catholic mission where English- and Spanish-speaking families worship side by side at weekday and Sunday Masses, share in Eucharistic Adoration, and pray together in a long-standing Spanish-language Charismatic Renewal group. The parish goes beyond its own walls through active prison ministry at the Joseph Harp and LARC correctional centers in Lexington, and its mission-of-a-parish size means every member's gifts and presence are known and put to use.
Mass times at Saint Catherine of Siena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- First Friday 7:30 PM through Saturday 7:30 AM
Parish History
Pauls Valley, named for early settler Smith Paul, developed on the former Chickasaw plains around 1870, but nearly eighty years would pass before the Garvin County seat became the site of a Catholic church. In 1949 Bishop Eugene McGuinness of the (then) Diocese of Oklahoma City traveled to Europe, where he recruited priests from Ireland and among the displaced Polish clergy, and met Father Joseph Duffy, an energetic young priest from Salford, England. Father Duffy was assigned to Pauls Valley as its first pastor, celebrated his opening Mass on October 2, 1949 at the Stuffelbean Funeral Home, and by late spring of 1950 had built the parish's first church and rectory. The construction was funded by Katherine Price, a Philadelphia philanthropist and friend of Bishop McGuinness, in whose honor the mission was placed under the patronage of St. Catherine of Siena.
- First Mass: October 2, 1949, at Stuffelbean Funeral Home
- First pastor: Father Joseph Duffy (Salford, England)
- Church and rectory built by late spring 1950
- Patron chosen in honor of benefactress Katherine Price of Philadelphia
- Now a mission of Our Lady of Victory, Purcell, in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
About Saint Catherine of Siena
St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was a Dominican tertiary, mystic, and influential counselor to popes, and one of only four women proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. The parish takes its name from her because Katherine Price, who funded its original construction, shared Catherine's name and was herself a devout Catholic philanthropist. Her feast day is April 29.
- St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), Dominican tertiary and Doctor of the Church
- Feast day: April 29
- Patron chosen in honor of benefactress Katherine Price, Philadelphia
Prison Ministry / Ministerio de la Cárcel
Saint Catherine of Siena Parish actively accompanies Catholics incarcerated at the Joseph Harp and LARC correctional centers in Lexington, Oklahoma. The Catholic prison ministry, run across the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, is composed of lay people, deacons and priests who preach the Gospel, assist small communities in celebrating the sacraments, and provide human and Christian formation rooted in Catholic doctrine. The parish team currently holds three Saturday services at the prisons and helps organize Christmas dinners and other special events in cooperation with the institutional chaplains.
- Serves Joseph Harp and LARC prisons in Lexington, OK
- Three Saturday services, plus sacramental assistance as needed
- Current volunteers: Marian, Pam, Fabiana, Deacon Juan, and Father Nerio Espinoza
- Annual Christmas dinners and special events coordinated with prison chaplains
- Contact: Father Nerio Espinoza — [email protected]
Catholic Charismatic Renewal Group
The parish has long hosted a Spanish-language Catholic Charismatic Renewal prayer group (Grupo de Renovación Carismática). At the diocesan level the movement organizes days of prayer, missions, evangelization, retreats, and concerts. Locally, the group meets for prayer and meditation on the Word of God after the Tuesday evening Spanish Mass on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 PM, and gathers for larger Prayer Assemblies with invited preachers on the last Friday of the month at 7:00 PM.
- Bilingual: Spanish-language prayer group
- Group Meetings: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, 7:30 PM after Mass
- Prayer Assemblies with invited preachers: last Friday of the month at 7:00 PM
- Contact: Mr. Juan Rodriguez
Diocese and Canonical Status
Saint Catherine of Siena is canonically a mission of the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Purcell, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The Archdiocese is led by Metropolitan Archbishop Paul Stagg Coakley; Saint Catherine's original founding in 1949 was carried out by Bishop Eugene McGuinness of the then-Diocese of Oklahoma City.
- Mission of: Church of Our Lady of Victory, Purcell
- Jurisdiction: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
- Metropolitan Archbishop: Paul Stagg Coakley
- Founder/Ordinary at founding (1949): Bishop Eugene McGuinness
Contact, Visit and Online Giving
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone or email, and online giving is available through Our Sunday Visitor's OSV Hub platform. The parish also maintains a public Facebook presence with parish news and announcements.
- Address: 205 W Bert Street, Pauls Valley, OK 73075
- Phone: (405) 238-3741
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stcatherinepaulsvalley.org/
- Online giving: https://osvhub.com/stcatherineofsienapv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaintCatherinesPaulsValley/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Duffy1949–
Young priest from Salford, England; assigned by Bishop McGuinness as first pastor; offered first Mass October 2, 1949 at Stuffelbean Funeral Home; built the first church and rectory by late spring 1950 with funds from Katherine Price of Philadelphia.