Pastor’s Message – Church of Saint Benedict

June 26, 2026

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Collect for the Mass on the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Brothers and Sisters,

With the first day of July comes many changes to parishes and clergy throughout Diocese with the start of new ministry assignments. Our own parish is affected by the change of associate pastors.

Fr. Archie Fernandez, who has been at St. Benedict over the last year, begins on July 1 his new assignment as a chaplain with the St. Francis Healthcare Systems. He will be serving primarily at St. Francis South Hospital and the Main St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He will live in residence at the Church of Saint Mary in Tulsa. I am grateful for his service at our parish, brief though it was.

This will be Fr. Archie’s final weekend at St. Benedict. He will be the celebrant at the Saturday Vigil Mass and our Sunday 9:00am Mass. There will be a farewell gathering for him in McGuire Hall after the Saturday Vigil Mass. He will offer his final daily Mass with us on Tuesday, June 30 at 8:30am.

Fr. Robert Williams will be our new associate pastor. Ordained in 2025, his home parish in St. Anne in Broken Arrow. He has spent the last year completing his studies in Rome. Fr. Williams is now set to return home. St. Benedict will be his first assignment as a parish priest.

His first day with us will be Friday, July 10. He will be present at the annual parish picnic the next day and at all the Masses the weekend of July 11-12. After some six years of seminary formation, Fr. Williams is eager to start his time here at St. Benedict.

Please pray for both Fr. Archie and Fr. Williams, as well as for all the clergy and parishes who will be experiencing these changes in the coming days. May they be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Our Parish

Condolences to the family of James Fagan, who died recently after a long illness. His funeral Mass will be on Saturday, June 27 at 11:00am in the parish church.

Congratulations to John Sartorius and Audrey Daniels, who were married on June 20 at Holy Family Cathedral.

Congratulations to Sophie Saucedo, who will celebrate her Quienceaire tomorrow at St. Benedict.

Congratulations to the Gonzalez and Ventura families, who are presenting children for baptism at the Noon Mass this Sunday.

Thank you to all who participated in the Totus Tuus Mission this week.

The annual Peter’s Pence Collection will be taken at all Masses this weekend. The worldwide collection will support the charitable work of Pope Leo XIV.

Incense will be used at our 9:00am Mass this Sunday.

Change in Daily Mass Schedule

Effective Wednesday, July 1, a Mass will be offered Monday through Friday at Noon in the chapel of St. Francis South Hospital, located at 91st Street and Hwy 169. Fr. Archie Fernandez will be the celebrant on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; Fr. Joe Townsend will be the celebrant on Thursday. With the additional Mass for those in Broken Arrow and south Tulsa, the Monday 8:30am Mass at St. Benedict will be discontinued, also effective July 1. Our scheduling for the other weekday Masses will remain the same.

July 4^th Celebrations

Mass in celebration of Independence Day will be at 9:00am, Saturday, July 4. All are welcome! At the request of the City of Broken Arrow, the bells in the tower will ring at 2:50pm that day in celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday.

The Parish Office will be closed on Friday, July 3rd. There will be daily Mass that day at 6:30am and 8:30am.

St. Scholastica Chapel will be closed on Friday, July 3rd and Saturday, July 4th.

Parish Feast Day

We will celebrate our parish feast day of our patron, St. Benedict, on Saturday, July 11, beginning with Mass at 8:30am. Bishop Konderla will be the celebrant. The annual parish picnic will be after our 5:00pm Vigil Mass that same day. All are welcome at this family friendly event.

God bless and keep you safe.

Fr. Bryan