About St. Joseph · Krebs, Oklahoma
St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Krebs, Oklahoma is the oldest Catholic parish in the Diocese of Tulsa and one of the oldest Catholic churches in Oklahoma, founded in 1885 by Dom Isidore Robot, a French Benedictine monk who was Prefect Apostolic of Indian Territory. The parish grew out of the Italian, Irish, and other European immigrant coal-mining communities of Krebs and Pittsburg County, and the original 1886 wooden church and school (the first parochial school in what is now Oklahoma, taught by the Sisters of Mercy) gave way to the present red-brick church built between 1903 and 1907 after a December 13, 1902 fire destroyed the wooden structure. Today the church is an active parish in the Diocese of Tulsa, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #80003296) and currently served by Fr. Kingsley George-Obilonu and Deacon Bill Anderson.
- Established
- 1885
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Kingsley George-Obilonu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tulsa
Why belong here
St. Joseph's offers the rare experience of worshipping in one of Oklahoma's oldest Catholic churches — a 1903 red-brick National Register landmark whose bell still rings from the original 1886 tower, surrounded by Italian stained glass, a brass tabernacle modeled on the Ark of the Covenant, and a turn-of-the-century altar. It is a small, multigenerational parish in the historic Italian-coal-mining community of Krebs, served by Fr. Kingsley George-Obilonu and Deacon Bill Anderson, with a weekday Mass schedule that includes Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evening/noon Masses in the chapel, Saturday confessions at 4:30 PM, and a 10:30 AM Sunday Mass — making it easy for visitors to drop in, pray, and connect with a deeply rooted Catholic community in the Diocese of Tulsa.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Thursday 11:00 AM (Adoration) — preceding the noon Mass (per catholicmasstime.org listing)
History of St. Joseph's
The parish traces its roots to 1885, when the French Benedictine missionary Father Isidore Robot — then Prefect Apostolic of Indian Territory — and Brother Dominic Lambert arrived in Tobucksy County, Choctaw Nation, and celebrated the first Mass at the home of Louis Roth on the site of today's St. Joseph Cemetery. A building committee soon organized a wood-frame church and a two-room school, both completed in 1886; the school, taught by the Sisters of Mercy, was the first parochial school in what is now Oklahoma. After Fr. Robot's death on February 15, 1887, Fr. Bernard Murphy became the parish's first resident pastor.
- 1885 — Arrival of Fr. Isidore Robot and Br. Dominic Lambert; first Mass at Louis Roth home.
- 1886 — Wood-frame church and first parochial school (Sisters of Mercy) completed.
- Feb. 15, 1887 — Death of Fr. Robot; Fr. Bernard Murphy becomes first resident pastor.
- Dec. 13, 1902 — Church and rectory destroyed by fire.
- 1903–1907 — Present red-brick church built.
- 1906 — New rectory completed.
- 1965–1966 — Interior remodeled to accommodate Vatican II liturgical changes.
- 1978 — New chapel added.
- Nov. 12, 1980 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #80003296).
The Church Building & Architecture
The present church, built 1903–1907 after the 1902 fire, is described in its National Register application as Eclectic in style with several Romanesque elements. Its red-brick exterior is virtually unaltered and features a central campanile housing the original 1886 bell, an arcaded façade, a small wheel window, and arched windows. The interior was substantially remodeled in 1965: the altar was simplified, original paintings were removed and stored, the walls were painted ivory and the ceiling white. A new chapel was added in 1978. The 1906 rectory next door — an 11-room house that historically housed the parish priests — is currently the focus of an active preservation campaign.
- Style: Eclectic with Romanesque elements (campanile, arcaded opening, wheel window, arched windows).
- Exterior: red brick; virtually unaltered since 1907.
- Interior remodeled 1965–1966 to comply with Vatican II.
- Chapel added 1978.
- 1906 rectory: 11-room residence, on Preservation Oklahoma's Most Endangered Places list.
The Church Bell
The bell hanging in the campanile is the only piece of the original 1886 wooden church to survive the 1902 fire. According to parish research, it was cast in 1886 and donated by John E. Rex, a St. Louis dry-goods merchant who befriended Fr. Robot while delivering goods to a Choctaw Nation trading post. Its inscription reads: 'I am Sybil. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Rt. Rev. Abbot D. Isidore Robot, Prefect Apostolic of the Indian Territory.' The bell is named for Sybil Rex, John Rex's daughter.
- Cast 1886; salvaged from the 1902 fire and rehung in the new campanile.
- Donated by St. Louis merchant John E. Rex.
- Named for Sybil Rex, his daughter.
- Inscription: 'I am Sybil. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Rt. Rev. Abbot D. Isidore Robot, Prefect Apostolic of the Indian Territory.'
The Sacred Art Collection
Generations of parishioners and former priests assembled one of Oklahoma's most distinctive collections of Catholic devotional art, much of it imported from Europe. Most stained-glass windows were made in Italy; one bears a Gaelic inscription because it was donated by Irish parishioners. The brass tabernacle behind the altar is modeled on the Ark of the Covenant and was brought from Europe in the late 1800s. The turn-of-the-century altar contains a marble stone with a chip of bone from an early Christian martyr. The parish also owns hand-carved wooden statues (including Our Lady of Mount Carmel, imported from Italy), gold-plated brass candlesticks over a century old, and $800-each Belgian vestments worn by the priest during the liturgy.
- Italian stained-glass windows (most) and one Gaelic-inscription window from Ireland.
- Brass tabernacle modeled on the Ark of the Covenant, imported from Europe in the late 1800s.
- Turn-of-the-century altar containing a relic of an early Christian martyr.
- Hand-carved Our Lady of Mount Carmel statue imported from Italy.
- 100+ year-old gold-plated brass candlesticks.
- $800-each Belgian vestments used by the pastor.
Parish Staff
St. Joseph's is served by a pastor and deacon along with lay staff and ministry leaders, as published in the Diocese of Tulsa Parish Finder.
- Pastor: Rev. Kingsley George-Obilonu
- Deacon: Bill Anderson (also Adult Education)
- Religious Education: Carey Fabrizio
- Choir Director: Michelle Rauniker
- Pastoral Ministry: Michelle Spurgeon
- Secretary: Rosemary Benedetto
Parish Ministries & Faith Formation
The parish maintains a small but active set of ministries for a rural congregation of this size, focused on faith formation for children and adults, sacred music, and pastoral care. The pastor and deacon together oversee Adult Education, while a separate director coordinates Religious Education for children. A pastoral-ministry coordinator and a choir director round out the liturgical and pastoral team.
- Religious Education (children) — directed by Carey Fabrizio
- Adult Education / RCIA-style formation — directed by Deacon Bill Anderson
- Choir — directed by Michelle Rauniker
- Pastoral Ministry — Michelle Spurgeon
- Parish Committee (governance/communications)
- Ministry to Oklahoma State Penitentiary, McAlester (historical)
St. Joseph Rectory Renovation Project
Adjacent to the church sits the 1906 rectory — an 11-room house that has housed generations of parish priests and is itself a piece of Krebs history. The rectory has been placed on Preservation Oklahoma's Most Endangered Places list. In 2025 the parish formed a Rectory Renovation Committee and is actively raising funds for a full interior and exterior restoration; the committee held a 'Bare Bones Tour' open house on the parish grounds (Saturday, April 26, 2025) and has applied for a city historical-landmark designation from the City of Krebs. The project has its own supporting website at stjosephrectorykrebs.com.
- Rectory built 1905–1906 next to the church.
- On Preservation Oklahoma's Most Endangered Places list.
- St. Joseph Rectory Renovation Committee raising funds (as of 2025).
- 'Bare Bones Tour' open house held April 26, 2025.
- City of Krebs historical-landmark application under consideration (January 2025 city council meeting).
- Supporting site: https://www.stjosephrectorykrebs.com/
Italian & Immigrant Heritage of Krebs
St. Joseph's grew up alongside the Italian, Irish, Slovak, Lithuanian, Mexican, and Polish immigrant communities that came to work the Pittsburg County coal mines. In 1910, 3,367 of the county's residents (about 21% of the population) had been born abroad; Krebs was the largest Italian colony in Oklahoma, and Italian surnames still dominate the parish roster. The Krebs Italian Festival, held nearby in McAlester, and longtime Italian businesses such as Pete's Place and Lovera's Grocery remain visible signs of the same community the parish has served since the 1880s.
- Pittsburg County's 1910 foreign-born population: ~21%.
- Krebs was the principal Italian colony in Oklahoma.
- Parish served the Italian, Irish, Slovak, Lithuanian, Mexican, and Polish mining families.
- Italian surnames still common in the parish today.
- Connection to Krebs Italian Festival, Pete's Place, Lovera's Grocery.
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is located at 290 NW Church Street in Krebs, Oklahoma — about three miles east of McAlester in Pittsburg County, on U.S. Highway 270/State Highway 31. The mailing address is PO Box 621, Krebs, OK 74554-0621. Parish office phone is (918) 423-6695; fax (918) 426-4225; general email [email protected]. The pastor can be reached at [email protected] and the deacon at [email protected].
- Address: 290 NW Church Street, Krebs, OK 74554
- Mailing: PO Box 621, Krebs, OK 74554-0621
- Phone: (918) 423-6695
- Fax: (918) 426-4225
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Deacon email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stjoseph-krebs.org/
- Facebook group: St. Joseph's Catholic Church - Krebs, OK
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Isidore Robot, O.S.B.1885–1887
French Benedictine, Prefect Apostolic of Indian Territory; arrived with Brother Dominic Lambert, celebrated the first Mass at the Louis Roth home, organized the first church and school; died February 15, 1887.
- Fr. Bernard Murphyfrom 1887
First resident pastor of St. Joseph's, appointed after Fr. Robot's death.
- Rev. Arthur O'Hara1980s (six years at parish, 1986 article)
Irish-descent pastor who also coordinated Catholic services at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester; spoke to The Oklahoman about the church's history and art treasures.
- Fr. Kenneth King
Mentioned on the parish's 'Our Church Bell' page as the priest who contacted the Rex family in 1966 to confirm that the bell at St. Joseph's was the one donated by John E. Rex.