About St. Patrick · Atoka, Oklahoma
St. Patrick is a mission Catholic church in Atoka, Oklahoma, and the oldest parish in the state, with Catholic worship in Atoka dating back to 1872. It is presently a mission served from St. William Parish in nearby Durant under the Diocese of Tulsa, with Saturday Vigil Mass, a Friday morning Mass, and First Saturday Mass bringing the sacraments to this small south-central Oklahoma community. The current church building is the third on or near the original site along US Highway 69/75, the route of the old Missouri–Kansas–Texas (Katy) Railroad whose Irish Catholic workers built the original church.
- Established
- 1872
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Carl Kerkemeyer
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tulsa
Why belong here
St. Patrick offers something rare for a small-town mission: a Eucharistic community with deep roots — the oldest Catholic parish in Oklahoma — combined with the convenience of multiple weekly Masses (Friday morning, Saturday Vigil, and First Saturday) and regular Saturday Confession and Eucharistic Adoration. Worship takes place in a quiet, accessible location right on US 69/75 in Atoka, and the parish is pastored together with St. William in Durant under a pastor who also serves local prison and university campus ministries. For Catholics in south-central Oklahoma, it is a faithful place to receive the sacraments, pray in adoration, and belong to a parish whose history stretches back to the Irish railroad builders of 1872.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:10 PM – 3:40 PM
Adoration times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (followed by 4:00 PM Vigil Mass)
Parish History
St. Patrick is the oldest Catholic parish in Oklahoma, founded in 1872 by Father Michael Smyth in Atoka, then part of Indian Territory. Smyth, a priest based at Fort Smith, Arkansas, served the Irish Catholic workers building the Missouri, Kansas and Texas (Katy) Railroad, whose right-of-way is today's US Highway 69. Father Isidore Robot completed the original church in 1875–1877 and opened the first Catholic school in Indian Territory in January 1876. Over more than 150 years the parish has occupied three successive church buildings; the second (later known as St. Francis Xavier) now houses El Adobe Mexican Grill, and a historical marker on Highway 69/75 commemorates the parish's origin.
- Founded 1872 by Father Michael Smyth
- First Catholic church in Indian Territory
- Father Isidore Robot completed the church, 1875–1877
- First Catholic school in Indian Territory opened January 1876
- Today the parish sits along the old Katy / US-69 corridor
Clergy and Staff
St. Patrick is pastored together with St. William Parish in Durant. Bishop David Konderla appointed Rev. Carl Kerkemeyer as Pastor of both parishes effective August 2019; Father Kerkemeyer also directs MacAlford prison ministry and SOSU campus ministry in Atoka and Bryan Counties. He first came to the Durant/Atoka area as a seminarian in the late 1990s and returned two decades later to serve the growing communities.
- Rev. Carl Kerkemeyer — Pastor (since August 2019)
Ministries and Outreach
Beyond Sunday worship, the pastor coordinates ministries reaching beyond the parish itself into the wider community of Atoka and Bryan Counties, including chaplaincy to a local correctional facility and to the regional state university.
- MacAlford prison ministry (Atoka & Bryan Counties)
- Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU) campus ministry
Catholic Radio in Atoka
Parishioners and visitors can listen to Catholic programming through Covenant Network Catholic Radio, which rebroadcasts EWTN from St. Louis via a transmitter on an Atoka tower at 91.7 FM, covering roughly a 20-mile radius.
- Covenant Network Catholic Radio — 91.7 FM
- EWTN broadcast via St. Louis
- Approx. 20-mile reception radius
Sacraments and Devotions
Because St. Patrick is a mission rather than a full parish, the sacramental schedule is intentionally tight but covers the essential needs of the local Catholic community. Confession is offered in the half hour before the Vigil Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration precedes it, giving worshippers a sustained period of prayer each Saturday afternoon.
- Saturday Vigil Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation
- First Saturday Mass — devotion to the Immaculate Heart
- Saturday Eucharistic Adoration, 3:00 PM
- Saturday Confession, 3:10–3:40 PM
Visiting and Belonging
Because St. Patrick is a small mission sharing pastoral care with St. William in Durant, visitors can expect a warm, close-knit community. Updated Mass and event times, plus any holy day or special service notices, are posted to the parish Google Calendar via the St. William website.
- See the parish Google Calendar at stwilliamdurant.com for current times
- Holy Day Masses added as scheduled
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Smyth1872–
Founded the parish in 1872 while serving from Fort Smith, Arkansas; traveled widely in Indian Territory with his brother Fr. Lawrence Smyth.
- Father Isidore Robot1875–1877
Made Atoka his missionary headquarters; completed the original church and opened the first Catholic school in Indian Territory (Jan–June 1876).