About Saint Mary · Medford, Oklahoma
Saint Mary Parish is a small Catholic community serving the town of Medford, the county seat of Grant County in north-central Oklahoma, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The parish's roots reach back to 1895 — among the earliest Catholic gatherings in the Cherokee Outlet — and it has served families across rural Grant County for more than 130 years. Today St. Mary's pastor also shepherds two mission churches: St. Joseph in Pond Creek and St. Mary Assumption in Wakita.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish name: St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Carl William Janocha (Fr. Janocha, born September 19, 1947, died February 3, 2026, having served as pastor of St. Mary's since June 2011)
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Why belong here
Saint Mary offers faithful Sunday worship in the historic heart of Medford, confession on Saturday afternoons, and weekday Mass, all under the Roman-Latin rite. The parish extends its care to neighboring farming communities through its mission churches at Pond Creek (St. Joseph) and Wakita (St. Mary Assumption), making it a spiritual hub for an entire stretch of rural Grant County. For Catholics in north-central Oklahoma, St. Mary's is a welcoming, long-standing community with deep pioneer roots.
Mass times at Saint Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM (before vigil Mass, per Discover Mass listing)
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Mary's is a Roman-Latin rite Catholic parish in Medford, Oklahoma, part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. It serves as the canonical home parish for Catholics across the western half of Grant County, with two mission churches (St. Joseph, Pond Creek, and St. Mary Assumption, Wakita) administered by the same pastor.
History of St. Mary's Parish
The parish traces its origin to about 1895 in a sod schoolhouse roughly ten and a half miles northwest of Medford. The first church was built in 1897 by Rev. Renier Sevens and dedicated by Bishop Meerschaert on September 13, 1898. After three and a half decades of country Masses served by visiting priests, Rev. Edward J. Voegele in 1940 oversaw the physical relocation of the sanctuary into Medford, onto lots at 214 West Cherokee Avenue deeded by Bridget O'Connor. A new church was dedicated on that site on May 10, 1949, by Most Reverend Eugene J. McGuinness, and the old structure became the parish school from 1948 to 1965 under the care of two religious sisters.
- 1895 – First Mass in a sod schoolhouse northwest of Medford
- 1897 – First church built by Rev. Renier Sevens of Pond Creek
- September 13, 1898 – Church dedicated by Bishop Meerschaert
- 1900–1905 – Rev. Joseph Francis first resident pastor
- 1905–1940 – Visiting priests from Manchester, Blackwell, Tonkawa and Enid
- July 18, 1940 – First Mass in Medford proper after sanctuary was moved
- March 10, 1941 – Rectory purchased
- 1948–1965 – Old church reused as parochial school by two sisters
- May 10, 1949 – New church dedicated by Bishop Eugene J. McGuinness
Pastor & Pastoral Succession
Saint Mary's is currently pastored by Rev. Carl William Janocha, who was assigned to the parish in June 2011. A native of Long Island, New York (born September 19, 1947), Fr. Janocha was ordained June 1, 1991, by Bishop Charles A. Salatka at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Oklahoma City. He previously served as pastor of parishes in Watonga, Frederick, Clinton, Elk City, and Anadarko, was an associate pastor in Yukon, Norman and Edmond, and served as regional vicar and chaplain for Mercy Hospital and for Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Camp. Fr. Janocha died February 3, 2026.
- Fr. Janocha also serves the missions at St. Joseph, Pond Creek and St. Mary Assumption, Wakita
- Pastors prior to 1940 served the rural congregation from Pond Creek, Manchester, Blackwell, Tonkawa, and Enid
- Fr. Edward J. Voegele (1940) oversaw the parish's relocation into Medford
Mission Churches
St. Mary's pastor also serves two rural mission churches in Grant County and surrounding areas.
- St. Joseph Church, Pond Creek, OK (about 17 miles from Medford)
- St. Mary Assumption Church, Main & Birch, Wakita, OK (about 18 miles from Medford)
- St. Mary Assumption, Wakita – Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM, with confessions at 10:30 AM
Location & Directions
The church is located at 214 West Cherokee Street in Medford, the county seat of Grant County, Oklahoma. Direct highway access: the church is three blocks west of the stop sign at the grain elevator on US-81 (Chisholm Trail Highway), at the junction with State Highway 11.
- Address: 214 West Cherokee Street, Medford, OK 73759
- Phone: (580) 395-2148
- Landmark: three blocks west of the grain elevator stop on US-81
Medford & the Cherokee Outlet
Medford was platted after the Cherokee Outlet land opening of September 16, 1893, with the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (later the Rock Island) reaching the future townsite in 1889–90. The town incorporated on March 10, 1894, and became the Grant County seat in 1908. St. Mary's was among the very first churches organized, listed alongside the First Christian Church (1893) and Mennonite General Conference (1897) and Mennonite Brethren (1899) congregations that settled the new farming community.
- Cherokee Outlet land opening: September 16, 1893
- Medford incorporated: March 10, 1894
- St. Mary's founded: about 1895
Archdiocese & Official Listings
Saint Mary's is listed by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City among its Wave 4 parishes and by GCatholic.org (Church ID 33170) under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The parish's discoverable online presence is through the Archdiocese parish finder and directory listings such as Discover Mass, Catholic Mass Time, and the Catholic Church Directory.
- Diocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
- GCatholic ID: 33170
- Archdiocese parish finder query for ZIP 73759
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Renier Sevens (of Pond Creek)1897–1900
Built the first St. Mary's church in rural Grant County in 1897; dedicated by Bishop Meerschaert on September 13, 1898.
- Rev. Joseph Francis (of Pond Creek)1900–1905
First resident priest in charge of the parish.
- Fathers from Manchester, Blackwell, Tonkawa and Enid1905–1940
Visiting priests celebrated Mass at the rural site; last Mass said there in 1940.
- Rev. Edward J. Voegele1940
Directed the moving of the church sanctuary into Medford onto West Cherokee Avenue; first Mass in town was July 18, 1940.
- Most Reverend Eugene J. McGuinness, D.D.1949
Dedicated the new church in Medford on May 10, 1949 (as Bishop of Oklahoma City and Tulsa).
- Rev. Carl William Janocha2011–2026
Pastor since June 2011; also served missions at St. Joseph, Pond Creek and St. Mary Assumption, Wakita. Ordained June 1, 1991, by Bishop Charles A. Salatka. Died February 3, 2026.