About St. Mary · Drumright, Oklahoma
St. Mary is a small Catholic mission parish in Drumright, Oklahoma, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa (Western Vicariate). The faith community worships at the corner of South Cimarron Avenue and Wood Street and is currently served by Rev. Desmond Ibeneme, who also pastors the nearby parishes of Sts. Peter & Paul in Cushing and St. John in Pawnee. Two Masses are celebrated each week — Sunday and Friday mornings at 8:00 AM — with Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesday mornings. The mission traces its roots to a Mass celebrated in the Idle Hour Theater in 1913 and to the brick church built in 1918 by Drumright's early Catholic families.
- Established
- 1918
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Desmond Ibeneme
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tulsa (Western Vicariate)
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a close-knit, multigenerational Catholic community in which many members descend from the families that built the original 1918 church. Visitors can worship at a mission church with deep roots in Drumright's history, including the Aaron Drumright-donated church bell and the beloved 1992 'Madonna of the Street' mosaic created by parishioners' own hands. With two weekly Sunday and Friday Masses, Tuesday morning Adoration, and regular Confession before Mass, it is a worshipful home where Catholics from across the Cushing–Drumright area are welcomed.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30–7:55 AM
- Friday 7:30–7:55 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:30 AM–10:30 AM
History of St. Mary Parish
St. Mary's story begins in 1913, when Drumright's first Catholic Mass was celebrated in the Idle Hour Theater. The community grew quickly enough that in 1917 Drumright Township donated land at the present site on South Cimarron Avenue, and in 1918 the brick mission church was completed as a daughter mission of the Chandler parish. Catechism was taught on Saturday mornings and Mass was offered every other Sunday, with the visiting priest riding out from Chandler. The mission was later transferred to Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Cushing, which remains its mother parish today.
- 1913 — First Catholic Mass celebrated in the Idle Hour Theater in Drumright.
- 1917 — Drumright Township donates land at the present location.
- 1918 — St. Mary Church completed as a mission of the Chandler parish.
- 1922 — City founder Aaron Drumright donates the church bell.
- 1924 — Fr. Trienekens dies, leaving $3,000 to the parish; sacristy built behind the altar.
- Parishioners add a 'berth' for the visiting priest to use on trips from Cushing.
- 1992 — Fr. Tim Daley commissions the 'Madonna of the Street' mosaic mural; parishioners contribute 200+ hours of volunteer labor placing tiles by hand.
Worship & Liturgy
St. Mary is a small Roman-Latin rite mission in the Diocese of Tulsa. Two Masses are celebrated each week — Friday and Sunday mornings at 8:00 AM — and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered each time shortly before Mass. Eucharistic Adoration is held Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 AM.
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM (English)
- Friday Mass: 8:00 AM (English)
- Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration: 9:30–10:30 AM
- Confessions: Sunday and Friday, 7:30–7:55 AM
- Rite: Roman (Latin)
Pastor & Parish Leadership
St. Mary is currently pastored by Rev. Desmond Ibeneme, ordained August 18, 2007, who also serves as pastor of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish in Cushing and St. John Parish in Pawnee. The Diocese of Tulsa lists the mission under the Western Vicariate, where the parish shares pastoral coverage with several other Tulsa-area parishes.
- Pastor: Rev. Desmond Ibeneme
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (918) 225-0644
- Mailing: PO Box 852, Cushing, OK 74023
Parish Facilities & Notable Features
The parish occupies the corner of South Cimarron Avenue and Wood Street, where the original 1918 mission church, the parish hall, and a sacristy (added with Fr. Trienekens' 1924 bequest) still serve the community. The most striking feature is the outdoor 'Madonna of the Street' mosaic mural, installed in front of the parish hall in 1992 and laid tile-by-tile by parishioners.
- Original 1918 mission church building
- Parish hall, in front of which stands the 'Madonna of the Street' mosaic
- Sacristy added in 1924 with Fr. Trienekens' bequest
- Aaron Drumright-donated church bell (1922)
- Room added for the visiting priest to use on trips from Cushing
Diocese of Tulsa & Western Vicariate
St. Mary is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa and is grouped in the diocese's Western Vicariate. Its mailing address is shared with Ss. Peter & Paul in Cushing, and its priestly care is shared with St. John in Pawnee — three parishes served together by Rev. Desmond Ibeneme.
- Diocese: Diocese of Tulsa
- Vicariate: Western Vicariate
- Sister missions: Sts. Peter & Paul (Cushing) and St. John (Pawnee)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Trienekensd. 1924
Left $3,000 to St. Mary in his will; parish used the bequest to build the sacristy behind the altar.
- Fr. Tim Daley
Commissioned the 'Madonna of the Street' mosaic mural in front of the parish hall in 1992.
- Rev. Desmond Ibeneme
Current pastor; also serves Sts. Peter & Paul (Cushing) and St. John (Pawnee). Ordained August 18, 2007.