Eastern Oklahoma Catholic July/August 2012 : Page 6
your news Oklahoma’s first permanent deacon laid to rest St. Monica’s Parish plans school reunion An all-grades reunion for alumni of St. Monica School in Tulsa is being planned for August 2013. While the school closed 46 years ago, a Preserving St. Monica’s Legacy Committee has been established to preserve the rich history of the parish, and the school was an important part of that history. Many of St. Monica’s School alumni helped build the church and school and a number of them continue to be active within the church community. St. Monica’s School was the first Catholic school established for African Americans in Tulsa after the 1921 Race Riot. Father James Rooney started the school in 1926 in buildings located at Greenwood and Archer and later on Haskell Street. Father Dan-iel Bradley was responsible for moving the church and school to Marshall and Newton in 1936 and 1942 respectively, but the school was officially closed for good in 1966. In planning the reunion, the committee is trying to locate and contact all former students of St. Monica Catholic School. The committee requests the following information: name, address, telephone/cell number, and the year(s) of attendance, including graduation date, if applicable. For more details about the reunion or to send your information to the committee, contact Dr. Marilyn K. Troupe at stmonicachurch@aol.com. The Gospel reading at the Funeral Mass for Deacon Kas Weigant was the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. In his homily, Vicar General Msgr. Dennis Dorney emphasized Dea-con Weigant’s faithful-ness in using his talents for service to the Church and world, saying, “When I think of Kas, I think of a man who understood this Gospel. He was many Deacon Kas and Margaret Weigant things in life, but I invite you all to remember him as a good husband and father and as a servant to others.” Kasper E. Weigant was born on July 30, 1925, in Portland, Ore. A decorated World War II veteran in the Pacific Theater, he moved his family to Tulsa in 1964 as an employee of Shell Oil and retired in 1982. Throughout his time in Tulsa, he faithfully served the diocese and the St. Pius X community for more than 40 years. While his dedication to the Church spanned several decades, his service reached a new level on Nov. 21, 1977, when he was ordained by Bishop Bernard J. Ganter as the first per-manent deacon in both the Diocese of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma. His accomplishments in service as a deacon are many: Pre-Cana conference director in 1978, part-time deacon at St. William Parish in Skiatook 1979-1981, associate direc-tor of the Permanent Diaconate program in 1980, advocate for the Tribunal Office in 1983, judge for the Tribunal Office 1983-1997, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award in 1993. He also served as a religious education teacher and principal and on the Finance and Parish Councils of his home parish, St. Pius X. Deacon Weigant passed away on May 15, 2012 after a long battle with cancer. Bishop Edward J. Slattery celebrated his Mass of Christian Burial at St. Pius X on May 15. His beloved wife, Margaret, preceded him in death in 2006. Kas is survived by his children Kas, Jim, Sheila and Hugh; 12 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Donations may be made in his memory to St. Pius X School Endowment Fund. Sacred Heart Parish hosting volunteers for Joplin recovery This summer, Sacred Heart Parish in Miami will host approxi-mately 400 volunteers from Catholic Mission Trips (CMT) who will work in Joplin this summer to help the residents in their recov-ery from the May 22, 2011 tornado that devastated their city. Starting June 10 and lasting through July 28, Sacred Heart will house and feed groups of high school volunteers and their chaperones, ranging in size from 20 to 88. Northeast Oklahoma A & M College (NEO) will host a group of 140 volunteers, a number too large for the parish. All of these volunteers are part of the effort of Catholic Mission Trips Inc., an organization from Plano, Texas, that was established in 2008 to provide mission trips for Catholics. CMT organizes and coordinates mission trips for Catholic parishes, groups and individuals. The purpose of these trips is not only to serve the poor and suffering, but also to strengthen the faith of the participants. Sacred Heart will offer prayer services for the volunteers during their stay. Father Carl Kerkemeyer, the pastor of Sacred Heart, has graciously moved daily Mass from 9 a.m. to 7 a.m. so that the workers will be able to get to their site in a timely manner. Evening meals will be provided for the volunteers by a wide range of groups and individuals. The Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, Legion of Mary, NEO Veterans, St. Ann’s, First Baptist Church and First Christian Church, along with parishioners and their family and friends, will contribute their time and treasure to make meals for the volunteers after their day of labor. Debbie Jurgensmeyer, the secretary for Sacred Heart Catho-lic Church, and Shelba Walls, a parishioner, are responsible for coordinating this project with the leadership of CMT. “We feel by doing this we, Sacred Heart, are helping Joplin, too. This is how we can help; we can be here providing support while they go up there and work,” Jurgensmeyer said. St. Camillus de Lellis, priest July 18 | St. Apollinaris, bishop and martyr July 20 | St. Lawrence 6 Eastern Oklahoma Catholic / July/August 2012 / www. dioceseoftulsa .org
Publication List
Using a screen reader? Click Here