Saint Damien of Molokai

History and Founding of St. Damien of Molokai

St. Damien of Molokai Catholic Church was built in 2010 to give the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter a permanent home for its Latin Mass apostolate in central Oklahoma. The Fraternity had been supplying priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City since 1993, and in 2009 it asked Archbishop Eusebius Beltran for a dedicated church. The Archbishop approved the project and chose St. Damien of Molokai — canonized just one year earlier by Pope Benedict XVI — as the church's patron. The new church was completed and dedicated on October 1, 2010, on a 20-acre rural site in northwestern Oklahoma County that had previously hosted St. Patrick's Catholic Church, destroyed by fire in the 1960s. The grounds are adjacent to historic St. Patrick's Cemetery (also called Lockridge Cemetery, est. 1891). Wikipedia's article on Father Damien notes that this parish is believed to be the first Catholic church in the continental United States to bear St. Damien's name after his 2009 canonization.

Our Patron: Saint Damien of Molokai

Saint Damien of Molokai was born Jozef De Veuster on January 3, 1840, in Belgium. He joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, was ordained a Catholic priest, and on May 10, 1873, arrived on the Hawaiian island of Molokai to minister to people quarantined there with leprosy. For sixteen years he cared for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of the colony — building homes, churches, and coffins, dressing ulcers, and organizing farms and chapels — until he himself contracted and died of leprosy on April 15, 1889. He is considered a 'martyr of charity' because he died in the practice of Christian charity, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009. His feast day is May 10.

Parish Groups and Spiritual Life

St. Damien's parish groups are designed to help parishioners grow spiritually and build faith-centered community through prayer, shared reflection, and group activities. Several of the groups meet monthly and begin with Mass, followed by a talk from the priest.

• St. Maria Goretti Guild — Catholic girls ages 8–17; First Saturday of the month (Sept–May), beginning with 8 AM Mass; contact Alicia Truty
• Confraternity of Christian Mothers — for Catholic women, married or widowed; canonically established August 12, 2021, under patronage of Our Lady of Sorrows; First Saturday of the month with Mass, talk, Holy Hour and confessions; contact Illana Decasas
• St. Joseph Men's Group — Catholic men ages 18+; last Saturday of the month for evening Benediction, rosary, and spiritual talk; contact Erik Williams
• Young Adult Group — Catholic men and women ages 18–30; meets once a month; contact Ben Arledge
• Holy Face Devotional Group — prayers and acts of reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus; contact Donna Sue Berry

Catechism and Religious Education

Catechism Classes are offered during the school year for parish children from Kindergarten through High School on Sundays from 9:15 to 10:15 AM. Classes begin the first Sunday after Labor Day and end in May. Sign-up is held in August at the church.

• Grades K through High School
• Sundays, 9:15–10:15 AM
• First Sunday after Labor Day through May
• Contact: Terry Lyhane

Our Priests (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter)

St. Damien Catholic Church is staffed by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a priestly society dedicated to the celebration of the Mass and sacraments in the Traditional Latin (Extraordinary) Form. The Fraternity has been supplying priests for the Latin Mass apostolate in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City since 1993.

• Father Eric Krager, FSSP — Pastor
• Father Joseph Portzer, FSSP — Priest in Residence

The Church Building

The 8,400-square-foot church includes a chapel, cry room, confessionals, classrooms, and a commercial kitchen. The project reflects both a generous gift and local craftsmanship: the pews, holy water fonts, baptismal font, and an ornate Italian marble altar were donated by a closed Catholic church in Amsterdam, New York, while the wooden baldachino, altar rail, and confessionals were designed and built by parishioners who are also artisans.

• 8,400 sq ft facility
• Italian marble altar and other furnishings from a closed church in Amsterdam, NY
• Handcrafted baldachino, altar rail, and confessionals by parish artisans

Grounds and St. Patrick's Cemetery

The parish occupies a 20-acre rural site in northwestern Oklahoma County and sits next to historic St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, also known as Lockridge Cemetery, established in 1891. The site's prior use as a Catholic church property goes back more than a century: an earlier St. Patrick's Catholic Church stood here until it burned down in the 1960s, and the cemetery remains in active use. The location gives the parish a distinctive, contemplative rural setting while remaining within reach of Edmond and Oklahoma City.

Contact, Office Hours, and Emergencies

Parish office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM; the office is closed Saturday and Sunday, and meetings are by appointment only. The published emergency line for sacramental emergencies (such as imminent danger of death, Anointing of the Sick, or last rites for someone unable to request the sacraments) is (405) 593-8286.

• Address: 8455 NW 234th Street, Edmond, OK 73025
• Phone: (405) 330-9968
• Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
• Sacramental Emergencies: (405) 593-8286