About St. Therese · Collinsville, Oklahoma
Saint Thérèse Catholic Church (formally St. Therese Parish and Diocesan Shrine) is a Roman-Latin rite parish in Collinsville, Oklahoma, about 20 miles north of Tulsa. It is part of the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma and is officially designated as a Diocesan Eucharistic Shrine. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish, serves families from across Rogers and Tulsa counties, and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful churches in the diocese. Its current pastor is Rev. Ernesto Calvillo, working alongside three deacons and a lay staff.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower)
- Rector
- Rev. Ernesto Calvillo
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma
Why belong here
St. Therese is a bilingual, family-oriented parish where Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish every Sunday and on weekdays, and where confession is available four days a week. With ministries for children, youth, adults, seniors (Keenagers / FIAT), the Altar Society, Council of Catholic Women, Knights of Columbus outreach, the Hispanic Apostolate, RCIA, and a Cemetery ministry, newcomers of any age or background can plug in quickly. The parish is also an official Diocesan Eucharistic Shrine, which adds a special focus on Eucharistic devotion, Adoration, and retreats to its regular liturgical life.
Mass times at St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- Wednesday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM (or until the line ends)
- Thursday 9:30 AM – 9:55 AM
- Friday 9:25 AM – 10:00 AM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM Holy Hour & Adoration (listed by third-party directories)
Welcome to St. Therese Parish & Diocesan Shrine
St. Therese Catholic Church has been serving the Catholic community of Collinsville, Oklahoma, for over a century — its first church was built in 1914 — and as a parish of the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma it continues to live and share the Gospel through worship, service, and community. The parish is officially designated as a Diocesan Eucharistic Shrine, marking it as a center of Eucharistic devotion within the diocese. Whether you are a lifelong Catholic, returning to the faith, or just exploring, the parish invites you to register, attend Mass, and become part of its bilingual, family-oriented community.
- Official name: St. Therese Parish and Diocesan Shrine
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Masses in English and Spanish
- Part of the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma
Parish History
The parish's origins trace to 1914, when the first St. Therese church was built for the Mexican, Irish, Polish, and Bohemian Catholic families who worked the area's strip mines. After the mines closed and an anti-Catholic episode in 1928, only six families remained, but a small church was built for them after WWII on land the parish still held. In 1958 the parish purchased 20 acres on N. 19th Street; a rectory went up in 1959 and a parish hall in 1984. Under Msgr. Patrick Brankin, who became pastor in 1994, the parish tripled in size and parishioners themselves helped design and build the present Romanesque church, dedicated on the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, October 2, 2000.
- 1914 — first St. Therese church built for mining-era Catholic families
- 1928 — anti-Catholic episode; six families remained
- 1940s — small church built for returning veterans
- 1958 — 20 acres purchased on N. 19th Street
- 1959 — rectory built
- 1984 — parish hall built
- 1994 — Msgr. Patrick Brankin becomes pastor
- Aug. 8, 1999 — groundbreaking for the new church
- Oct. 2, 2000 — dedication on the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Architecture & The Church Building
The present church is a Romanesque structure designed by architect Steven Schloeder of Liturgical Environs, a firm specializing in Catholic church design. Its eight-sided interior forms a cross in plan, and the coffered ceiling symbolically forms a 'mystical rose' at its center — a tribute to the parish's patron, St. Thérèse of Lisieux. With more than 7,000 square feet on a 20-acre campus, the building was conceived as a 'textbook of the faith': every window, angle, and furnishing reveals something of Catholic belief. Members of the parish stripped, sanded, re-stained, and faux-marble-painted the interior themselves.
- Architect: Steven Schloeder (Liturgical Environs)
- Style: Romanesque, octagonal plan forming a cross
- Cost: ~$1.5 million (c. 2000)
- Size: 7,000+ sq ft on a 20-acre campus
- Design motif: 'mystical rose' ceiling for the Little Flower
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by three deacons, a youth and children's ministry team, accounting, bulletins, and a cemetery manager. Emails are organized by role so parishioners can reach the right person directly.
- Pastor: Rev. Ernesto Calvillo — [email protected]
- Deacon Peter McLane
- Deacon Terry Brown — [email protected]
- Deacon Scot Kelley — [email protected]
- Accounting: Peggy Briggs — [email protected]
- Bulletins: Scot Kelley — [email protected]
- Children's Ministry Coordinator & Virtus Administrator: Kelly Davenport — [email protected]
- Youth Coordinator: Cinthya Franco-Pena — [email protected]
- Cemetery Manager: Terry Brown — [email protected]
- Administrative Assistant: Elaine Egan
- Office: [email protected]
Parish Ministries
Beyond Sunday Mass, St. Therese offers ministries for every age and stage of life — from children's faith formation and youth ministry, to adult service organizations, to a senior 'Keenagers / FIAT' group. The parish describes itself as 'more than an hour on a weekend,' and invites parishioners to use their gifts in liturgy, outreach, education, or fellowship.
- Altar Society
- Children's Ministry (with Virtus / safe-environment coordination)
- Youth Ministry (grades 6–12)
- Altar Server Ministry (for those who have made First Holy Communion)
- Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA)
- Parish Council
- Finance Council
- FIAT — Faith In Action Team / Keenagers (seniors)
- Council of Catholic Women
- Apostolado Hispano (Hispanic Apostolate)
- Communications Office
- Knights of Columbus outreach
- Cemetery ministry
Faith Formation & RCIA
The parish's Youth Ministry serves students in sixth through twelfth grades and is dedicated to empowering young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, drawing them into responsible participation in the Catholic faith community, and fostering total personal and spiritual growth. Children below that age range are served by the Children's Ministry Coordinator. Adults seeking to become Catholic — or to be received into full communion — journey through the Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA).
- Youth Ministry contact: Cinthya Franco — [email protected]
- Children's Ministry contact: Kelly Davenport — [email protected]
- RCIA program for adult initiation
Altar Server Ministry
Children who have received their First Holy Communion and feel called to serve at the altar are invited to become altar servers. Interested families are asked to email the ministry with the child's full name, age, and the Mass they normally attend.
- Open to anyone who has made First Holy Communion
- Contact: [email protected]
Hispanic Ministry / Apostolado Hispano
St. Therese maintains a dedicated Hispanic Apostolate (Apostolado Hispano) and celebrates a Sunday Misa en Español at noon. The parish has a long tradition of welcoming Spanish-speaking Catholics, including quinceañera celebrations that mark a young woman's coming of age and renewal of baptismal vows.
- Misa en Español — Sunday 12:00 PM
- Apostolado Hispano parish ministry
- Quinceañera celebrations (liturgical and community tradition)
Cemetery
The parish maintains a cemetery on or near its campus, with day-to-day management handled by parish staff.
- Cemetery Manager: Terry Brown — [email protected]
Becoming a Parishioner
Registration is simple: visit the parish office during office hours, or contact the parish by phone at (918) 371-2704 or by email at [email protected]. The staff will help you complete a registration form and welcome you into the parish family.
- Register in person at the parish office
- Register by phone: (918) 371-2704
- Register by email: [email protected]
Contact & Visit
The parish office is located at 1007 N. 19th Street, Collinsville, OK 74021. Office hours and staff emails are available through the parish's contact page; visitors are also welcome to connect via the parish's Facebook page.
- Address: 1007 N. 19th Street, Collinsville, OK 74021
- Phone: (918) 371-2704
- Office email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stthereseok.org/
- Facebook: linked from the parish contact page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Patrick Brankin1994 – retired (ordinations May 9, 1979)
Came from Chicago to head up Spanish ministry in northeast Oklahoma; became pastor in 1994; led the design and parishioner-built construction of the current Romanesque church dedicated October 2, 2000; now retired and listed on the Diocese of Tulsa roster.