About St. Augustine · Tulsa, Oklahoma
St. Augustine Catholic Church is a Roman Rite parish located at 1720 E. Apache Street in the North Tulsa neighborhood of Oklahoma, within the Diocese of Tulsa. Founded in 1950 under Reverend John Strmiska, it emerged in the era of segregation as one of the first churches in the Tulsa Diocese created for African American Catholics, and has remained a spiritual and educational anchor of North Tulsa ever since. Today the parish is led by Father Celestine Obidiegwu (pastor since 2017), who also serves the neighboring St. Monica parish, and offers Mass in both English and Spanish, weekly adoration of the rosary, faith formation for children and adults, and active youth outreach including a North Tulsa soccer league.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Father Celestine Obidiegwu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tulsa
Why belong here
St. Augustine is a long-standing North Tulsa parish where newcomers are personally welcomed and invited into the parish family. The community gathers for English and Spanish Masses each week, prays the Rosary together before Sunday liturgy, and offers formation for children and adults — including RCIA, weekly Religious Education classes, and free Spanish classes — alongside ministries such as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers, and Gift Bearers. Beyond the church walls, the parish is investing in North Tulsa's youth and heritage through its new North Tulsa Spring Soccer League and a planned Black Catholic history museum on parish grounds.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday before Mass
- Anytime by appointment
History of St. Augustine Parish
St. Augustine Catholic Church was founded in 1950 in North Tulsa as one of the first churches in the Diocese of Tulsa created for African American Catholics during the era of segregation. Reverend John Strmiska was the founding pastor and served the parish for seventeen years. About a decade after opening, the congregation outgrew its original building and expanded on its East Apache Street campus. The parish has been served by a succession of 17 pastors across more than seven decades, with Father Celestine Obidiegwu, a Nigerian-born priest, becoming pastor in 2017 and also taking on the neighboring St. Monica parish.
- Founded 1950 under Reverend John Strmiska
- Created during segregation for Black Catholic faithful of North Tulsa
- Larger church building constructed roughly ten years after founding
- Now planning a Black Catholic history museum on the former rectory site
Parish Staff
St. Augustine is pastored by Father Celestine Obidiegwu and supported by two permanent deacons and a parish secretary. The staff is intentionally small but deeply rooted in the community, with multiple phone numbers listed so parishioners can reach the priest, the deacons, and the office directly.
- Father Celestine Obidiegwu — Pastor (since 2017)
- Deacon Steve Litwack — 918-747-0574
- Deacon Charles Beard — 918-340-0090
- Liz Brown — Parish Secretary, 918-587-2965
- Office hours: Wednesdays 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., 918-428-3280
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education (CCD) for children meets every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. during the school year, September through May. Adults seeking to become Catholic are welcomed into RCIA — the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults — and free Spanish classes are offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays to serve both parishioners and the wider North Tulsa community.
- Religious Education — Wednesdays 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m., September–May
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Spanish Classes — Tuesdays and Saturdays
- NTLC Tutoring — Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m. in the CCD Building
Sacraments
St. Augustine prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. First Eucharist and Confirmation are celebrated communally once a year, while Baptism and Marriage are scheduled individually with appropriate preparation. The parish is also attentive to the homebound and sick, offering Visitation of the Sick, Communion to the Sick, and Anointing upon request.
- Baptism — call the parish at 918-587-2965
- First Eucharist — celebrated once a year
- Confirmation — celebrated once a year
- Reconciliation — Sunday before Mass or by appointment
- Marriage — minimum six months of preparation required
- Visitation of the Sick and Communion to the Sick — on request
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the Pastor for the homebound
Parish Ministries
Liturgical and service ministries at St. Augustine involve lay faithful in every part of the Mass, from proclaiming the Word to bearing the gifts. The parish also runs a tutoring program out of the CCD Building and encourages parishioners to consider vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, or lay ministry.
- Altar Servers
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Gift Bearers
- Lectors
- RCIA team
- NTLC Tutoring
- Vocations awareness — contact the Parish Priest
Youth & Community Outreach — North Tulsa Soccer League
Together with sister parish St. Monica, St. Augustine is developing a youth soccer complex on parish property, estimated at $120,000–$150,000, to give North Tulsa children an affordable alternative to leagues that charge around $300 per family. The idea came directly from Father Celestine Obidiegwu: 'These youngsters need to play in a soccer league.' The North Tulsa Spring Soccer League has already launched at full registration on local fields, with successful fundraising providing free cleats, jerseys, shin guards, and registration.
- New soccer complex planned on parish grounds
- Free cleats, jerseys, shin guards, and registration for participants
- Joint project with St. Monica parish
- Volunteers and donations: 918-428-3280 or 918-607-8681
Planned Black Catholic History Museum
A longer-term vision for the St. Augustine campus is a Black Catholic history museum on the site of the former (now demolished) rectory. If completed, it would be the first museum of its kind and would honor the central role Black Catholicism has played in U.S. and Oklahoma history, including the founding of the parish in 1950 and the parallel founding of St. Monica by Bishop Francis Kelley in the wake of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
- Museum site: former rectory parcel
- First-of-its-kind Black Catholic history museum
- Designed to complement and support the broader parish campus
Becoming a Parishioner
Newcomers are personally welcomed at St. Augustine and invited to register with the parish. A registration form can be downloaded from the official website, filled out, and mailed to the parish office. Once registered, families are folded into the parish's liturgical, educational, and outreach ministries.
- New Parishioner Registration Form available on staugustine-tulsa.org
- Office hours: Wednesdays 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
- Parish office phone: 918-587-2965 (Liz Brown, Parish Secretary)
Bulletin, Calendar & Contact
The parish publishes a regular bulletin with announcements and a full ministries schedule. Submissions must be sent to the office before noon on Tuesday at least two weeks before the scheduled event. Past bulletins are archived on the website, and the parish links to daily Mass Readings and a Mass Times & Events calendar.
- Current and archived bulletins online
- Bulletin deadline: noon Tuesday, two weeks in advance
- Daily Mass Readings linked from the parish website
- Dates to Remember — Church Events calendar online
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend John Strmiska1950–1967
Founding pastor of St. Augustine.
- Reverend Larry Lang1967
- Reverend Gregory Gier1968
- Reverend James McGlinchey1968–1978
- Reverend Paul Eichhoff1978–1980
- Reverend Martin J. Morgan1980–1981
- Reverend Edward Howard1981–1983
- Reverend James Greenville, O.F.M.1983–1984
Franciscan friar.
- Reverend Tom Melton1984–1988
- Reverend Timothy McClain1988–1991
- Reverend Joe C. Townsend1991–1995
- Reverend Alex Kennedy1995–1997
- Reverend Gary Sherman1997–2000
- Reverend Demond Okpogba2000–2005
- Reverend Kenneth Iheanacho2005–2014
- Reverend James Caldwell2014–2017
- Reverend Celestine Obidiegwu2017–present
Nigerian-born priest; also pastor of St. Monica parish.