Our Story
history of our church
Saint Patrick Catholic Church began in Northwest Oklahoma City on June 10, 1950, fulfilling the vision of Bishop Eugene McGuinness. The first mass was celebrated by the first parish pastor Father Michael McNamee in what is now called Trinity Gardens, formerly Saint Ann’s Nursing Home located west of the church property.
With humble beginnings of 120 families and a priority to construct a school, Father McNamee successfully raised the funds to break ground in January 1951. The Saint Patrick Parish grade school soon opened in September 1952 serving grades 1-8 with an enrollment of 200 students. The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas were the first teachers to teach the students in the new school.
By 1955, a growing parish of 550 families and a new school under then pastor Msgr. Kanaly, readied plans to build a new church. The new church needed to be practical, liturgically in keeping with the “mind of the church,” and a work of art. These tenets of design guided the plans for a modern Church within a Church. Built almost entirely by the parishioners numbering in the 100’s who worked day, night, and weekends over a two-year span, the new church was dedicated on September 23, 1962.
The modern cathedral, which was designed by architect Robert Lawton Jones of the Tulsa firm, Murray Jones Murray and engineer Felix Candela, was awarded the Cardinal Lercaro Gold Medal in 1962 by the North American Liturgical Conference as the outstanding Catholic church built in the country over a then three-year period. Among other honors was one of four equal awards given by the National Council of Churches and the Church Architectural Guild of America in 1963.
The church's design elements have won numerous awards since it was built. It was recognized and honored at the Church Architecture Exhibit in Maynooth, Ireland, in 1963 and received the Oklahoma City Arts Council's Design Excellence Award in 1970, plus the Oklahoma Council of Architects' 25-Year Award for Excellence in 1991.
The church also was listed among the "Top Five Favorite Sites for Oklahoma City Architecture at its Finest," featured in Oklahoma Today in 2000; and was featured in The Oklahoman as one of the "Ten Architecturally Significant Religious Buildings in Oklahoma City" by Oklahoma City metro architects in 2002.
Over time, the Hispanic membership of the neighborhood continued to grow. In response, Saint Patrick Catholic Church began a Spanish Mass in July 2003 serving over 300 Hispanic families in our parish community. An Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta is held annually; a Parish Carnival where hundreds come to enjoy ethnic food, music, games and Latin folk dancing.
Saint Patrick’s Parish is a culturally diversified parish serving the needs of many including Anglo, Asian, and Hispanic families. Bilingual masses are a celebrated part of special events and certain Holy Days within the Saint Patrick Catholic Church community.
We hope that others may come to know, with us, the salvation and blessings of God in Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord.