About St. Ann · Welch, Oklahoma
St. Ann Parish in Welch, Oklahoma is a small Roman Catholic mission community serving the northern part of Craig County in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Tucked in the rural far northeast corner of the state, the parish is closely linked to Holy Ghost Church in nearby Vinita, with which it shares a pastor, deacon, and much of its sacramental life. Currently it offers one Sunday Mass each week and a regular Tuesday evening Confession hour, giving Catholics in the Welch area a steady place for worship, reconciliation, and community in the heart of the Cherokee Nation region.
- Established
- circa 1901 (as St. Anne Mission in the Cherokee Nation; current parish structure reorganized under the Diocese of Tulsa)
- Patron
- Saint Ann (Saint Anne), the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Samuel Perez, JCL (also Pastor of Sacred Heart, Miami)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma
Why belong here
St. Ann offers a quiet, welcoming small-mission atmosphere for Catholics in Welch and the surrounding rural northern Craig County, with the assurance of weekly Sunday Mass and a standing weekly Tuesday evening Confession. Because the parish shares its pastor and deacon with nearby Sacred Heart in Miami, parishioners can also tap into the larger Sacred Heart community for faith formation, fellowship, and sacramental preparation. The parish belongs to the Northern Vicariate of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, keeping it connected to the wider Church across northeast Oklahoma while remaining a close-knit local mission family.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Parish Identity & Coverage Area
St. Ann Parish serves the northern portion of Craig County, Oklahoma, from its 450 S. Jefferson Street location in the small town of Welch. According to Holy Ghost Parish in nearby Vinita, Holy Ghost 'covers all of Craig County, except the northern part which belongs to St. Ann parish in Welch.' St. Ann is administered under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma and is one of two Craig County parishes in the diocesan Northern Vicariate (the other being Holy Ghost, Vinita).
- Full name: St. Ann Parish (Welch)
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma
- Vicariate: Northern Vicariate
- Address: 450 S. Jefferson St., Welch, OK 74369
- Mailing: PO Box 25, Welch, OK 74369-0025
History
Catholic missionary outreach to the Welch area began in the late 19th century, when Holy Ghost Church in Vinita (founded before 1867) served mission stations across the Cherokee Nation. Marquette University's Guide to Catholic Records About Native Americans in the United States records a 'Welch station (Cherokee)' served by Holy Ghost from 1899 to 1909, after which it 'became a mission' and was eventually transferred to Sacred Heart, Miami (1909–1927). A separate 'St. Anne Mission (Cherokee), Welch, Craig County' is also documented for 1901–1915. Today's St. Ann Parish carries on that lineage as the Catholic presence in northern Craig County, sharing clergy with both Holy Ghost, Vinita, and Sacred Heart, Miami.
- 1899–1909: Welch station served from Holy Ghost, Vinita
- 1901–1915: St. Anne Mission (Cherokee) active in Welch
- 1909–1927: Welch mission transferred to Sacred Heart, Miami
- Today: St. Ann Parish serves northern Craig County within the Diocese of Tulsa
Clergy & Staff
St. Ann, Welch, is staffed jointly with Sacred Heart Parish, Miami, under the same pastor and deacon. The Diocese of Tulsa's Priest Directory confirms that 'Very Rev. Samuel Perez, JCL (Ordained June 13, 2003)' serves as Pastor of Sacred Heart, Miami, and St. Ann, Welch. The same diocesan records list Deacon Anthony Hicks as assigned to both parishes — he is also well known through the 'Deacon's Corner' catechetical writing ministry on the Holy Ghost, Vinita website.
- Pastor: Rev. Samuel Perez, JCL
- Deacon: Anthony Hicks
- Office contact: (918) 788-3771
Pastoral Connection with Sacred Heart, Miami
Because the same pastor and deacon serve both St. Ann, Welch, and Sacred Heart, Miami, the parishes operate as a pastoral team in the Northern Vicariate. This means Welch Catholics can turn to Sacred Heart in nearby Miami for fuller sacramental programming, additional Mass times (including a Saturday vigil and a Spanish Mass at noon on Sunday), and access to religious education staff. Pastoral communications are channeled through the pastor's diocesan email address.
- Same pastor: Rev. Samuel Perez, JCL
- Same deacon: Deacon Anthony Hicks
- Sacred Heart, Miami offers additional Mass times, including Saturday vigil and Spanish-language Masses
Diocese & Vicariate
St. Ann, Welch, falls under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. In July 2019, Bishop David A. Konderla reestablished the diocese's vicariates and assigned St. Ann to the Northern Vicariate (Vicar Forane: Rev. John O'Neill). The Northern Vicariate gathers together the Catholic missions and parishes across northeast Oklahoma, including Holy Ghost, Vinita; St. Ann, Welch; Sacred Heart, Miami; Immaculate Conception, Pawhuska; and others as far as Bartlesville and Pryor.
- Diocese: Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma
- Bishop: Most Rev. David A. Konderla
- Vicariate: Northern (Vicar Forane: Fr. John O'Neill)
- Sister parishes in the vicariate: Holy Ghost, Vinita; Sacred Heart, Miami; Immaculate Conception, Pawhuska; St. Elizabeth, Grove