About Saint Therese of the Child Jesus [Maronite] · Tulsa, Oklahoma
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus is a Maronite Catholic parish in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, established to bring the Eastern Catholic liturgical tradition of the Maronite Church to Northeast Oklahoma. The parish is served by Father Elias Abi Sarkis, a Lebanese-born priest who was assigned on October 18, 2002 to found and build the Maronite community in Tulsa. Worship is celebrated in the Maronite Rite — an Antiochene Syriac tradition stretching back to the early Christian communities of Lebanon — making this the only Eastern Catholic parish in the city. The parish sits at 8315 South 107th East Avenue in south Tulsa near Highway 169 and East 81st Street South.
- Established
- 2002 (assigned Oct 18, 2002); established community milestone Dec 24, 2006
- Patron
- Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (Thérèse of Lisieux), venerated by Father Elias as "the protectress for our Maronite community."
- Rector
- Father Elias Abi Sarkis
- Diocese
- Maronite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles (the parish sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa).
Why belong here
Saint Therese offers Tulsa-area Catholics a chance to worship in the Maronite Rite — one of the 22 rites of the one Catholic Church — without leaving Oklahoma, celebrating the Sacraments, faith and shared Tradition of their Eastern brothers and sisters in communion with Rome. Visitors and parishioners consistently note the warm, tight-knit community, the thoughtful priest who guides the liturgy page-by-page, and the parish's outreach efforts both locally and toward Lebanon through organizations such as Caritas Lebanon. If you are an Arabic-speaking or Antiochene-tradition Catholic in Northeast Oklahoma, or simply curious about Eastern Catholic worship, Saint Therese is the natural home.
Mass times at Saint Therese of the Child Jesus [Maronite]
Weekly Mass schedule
History of the Parish
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus was established as a Maronite Catholic mission in Tulsa on October 18, 2002, when Father Elias Abi Sarkis was sent from the Maronite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles to build an Eastern Catholic presence in Northeast Oklahoma. Drawing on his earlier assignments in Akron, Cleveland, and Atlanta, and on his formation at the Maronite seminary in Ghazir and at the Vatican and in Washington, DC, Father Elias gathered Lebanese-American and other Antiochene-tradition Catholics in the Tulsa region around weekly Maronite Liturgy. He has described the founding in deeply communal terms, calling each parishioner a brick in the new church. The Christmas liturgy of December 24, 2006 marked the visible first fruit of the community's first six years, and Saint Therese continues to serve as the Maronite spiritual home for Tulsa-area faithful.
- Oct 18, 2002 — Father Elias Abi Sarkis assigned to found the Tulsa Maronite mission
- Dec 24, 2006 — milestone Christmas liturgy after six years of building
- Apr 28, 2018 — parish pilgrimage to Pawhuska's Immaculate Conception / Cathedral of the Osage
About the Maronite Church
The Maronite Rite is one of the 22 rites within the one universal Catholic Church. As the parish website explains, a rite is "a community of faith having a distinct tradition, theology, spirituality, liturgy, hierarchy, and canon law" that enjoys autonomy and independence from its sister churches while remaining united with Rome in the same profession of Faith, celebration of the Sacraments, and hierarchical unity. The different rites evolved from five apostolic centers: Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, Rome, and Jerusalem. Maronite Catholics trace their origins to the Antiochene Christian tradition of Lebanon.
- One of 22 rites of the Catholic Church
- Rooted in the Antiochene apostolic tradition
- In full communion with Rome
Pastor & Clergy
The parish has been served continuously by its founder, Father Elias Abi Sarkis. Born in Lebanon on November 18, 1948, he studied at the Maronite seminary in Ghazir, pursued philosophy at the Vatican and theology in Washington, DC, and was ordained on July 19, 1975. Before Tulsa he served as assistant pastor and then administrator of a Maronite mission in Akron, Ohio; as pastor in Cleveland, Ohio; and as Pastor of Saint Joseph Maronite Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He was assigned to Tulsa on October 18, 2002, to build the local Maronite community from the ground up.
- Father Elias Abi Sarkis — Pastor / Founder (since Oct 18, 2002)
- Studied in Ghazir, the Vatican, and Washington, DC
- Ordained July 19, 1975
Mass & Worship Schedule
Saint Therese celebrates the Divine Liturgy (Maronite Mass) twice on Sundays and every weekday evening. Visitors to the parish commonly note that the priest guides the congregation through the liturgy by indicating page numbers, a hallmark of the Maronite worship style.
- Sunday: 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM
- Monday through Friday: 5:30 PM
Outreach & Ministries
Beyond the Liturgy, Saint Therese runs an active parish hall and kitchen ministry and supports both local and international outreach efforts. Father Elias Abi Sarkis serves as Director of Caritas Lebanon appeals in the U.S., coordinating relief for Christians in Lebanon; donations are mailed to the parish office at 8315 South 107th East Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74133. The parish has also organized pilgrimages within Oklahoma, including the April 2018 trip to Pawhuska's Immaculate Conception Church to venerate the tomb of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and to honor Bishop Eusebius Beltran's December 1981 dedication of a Kateri church in Roland, OK.
- Caritas Lebanon — Father Elias Abi Sarkis serves as Director
- Parish hall & kitchen (phone 918-461-9450)
- Pilgrimages within Oklahoma
- Community outreach and support
Sacraments
As a Maronite Catholic parish in full communion with Rome, Saint Therese celebrates all seven Sacraments — Baptism, Confirmation (Chrismation), Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony — in the Antiochene Syriac liturgical tradition. Parishes in the Maronite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles serve faithful of Lebanese and Syriac heritage as well as anyone seeking the Maronite spiritual tradition.
- All seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church in the Maronite Rite
Visit & Contact
The parish is located at 8315 South 107th East Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74133, near the intersection of Highway 169 and East 81st Street South. The office can be reached at (918) 872-7400 (fax 918-286-6619). The parish hall and kitchen line is (918) 461-9450, and an after-hours emergency line is available at (678) 772-8708. The Maronite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles provides canonical oversight, while the parish sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa.
- Address: 8315 S 107th E Ave, Tulsa, OK 74133
- Office: (918) 872-7400
- Hall/Kitchen: (918) 461-9450
- Emergency: (678) 772-8708
- Web: saintherese.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Elias Abi SarkisAssigned October 18, 2002 – present
Lebanese-born priest (b. Nov. 18, 1948); studied at the Maronite seminary in Ghazir; Philosophy at the Vatican; Theology in Washington, DC; ordained July 19, 1975; prior assignments in Akron OH (assistant pastor/administrator), Cleveland OH (pastor), and Saint Joseph Maronite Church in Atlanta GA; founder of the Tulsa Maronite mission.