‘A servant’s heart’

Davito starting anew after 50 years serving archdiocese, Beltran

Carol Davito’s timing aligned perfectly in the winter of 1975.

New job for the newly established Diocese of Tulsa, filling the role as secretary for its first bishop, Bernard J. Ganter. Soon she was serving as a hostess when Mother Teresa arrived for a visit; then greeting Bishop Fulton Sheen, who one day strolled into her office unannounced.

“We had a short, but pleasant exchange,” Davito said of an interaction with Sheen. “I was lucky enough to be able to tell him that I always watched his TV program.”

What a beginning.

And only the beginning.

Now a half-century later, Davito nears retirement, closing a long and dedicated run in serving the Catholic Church in Oklahoma.

“I thank God every day for the path that my life has taken,” she said, “for all the wonderful people that I have met, for all the beautiful places I have seen and hope to see, for good health and a very happy life.”

Thank then-Monsignor Eusebius Beltran, too.

“When Bishop Ganter was leaving for Beaumont, Texas, he told me it was protocol for the chancery staff to resign, so the new bishop could pick his own staff.

“However, he suggested I sit tight and see what happened.”

Beltran, set to follow Ganter, retained Davito, and they remained together until Beltran’s death in September at the age of 91, first forming a working relationship, then a lasting friendship that stretched across five decades.

Now nearing retirement, Davito relishes the relationships and experiences that have filled her life these past five decades, none more than her ever-developing friendship with Beltran.

“My first encounter with Monsignor Eusebius Beltran was by telephone,” she said. “He called and I immediately fell in love with his voice.

“My first years with him were basically a 9-to-5 position as his secretary, because I had three teenage sons still at home. I felt so fortunate to work with him because he was very easy to be around and soon people learned to love him very much as he would go out into the parishes of the diocese. We called him the energizer bunny because he never stopped. He told me his day off was Thursday, but he never took a day off, so it became kind of a joke.”

In November 1992, Beltran returned from a meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and handed Davito a letter to read. The subject: Beltran was being moved to Oklahoma City as archbishop.

“I congratulated him but fought back tears because I thought it meant that I would no longer be working for him,” Davito said. “It was a long time before he asked if I would like to come to Oklahoma City, because he told me if there was a secretary already there, he could not displace her.

“That was only one of his many kindnesses.”

Davito followed Beltran to Oklahoma City, where her responsibilities eventually expanded – and continued to expand.

“Carol has spent most of her adult life serving the Church in some capacity,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley. “I am personally grateful for her generous service to the Church in Oklahoma, both in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa.

“Not many are aware of Carol's many years of service assisting the staff during the annual plenary meetings of the USCCB as well. She has a servant's heart.”

Serving has been a mark of her career. And, as she says, came with a few “perks.”

Davito and Beltran became beekeepers together, growing hives and processing honey, which they regularly shared with the Catholic Pastoral Center staff. As Beltran’s assistant, she was able to meet Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. Father Stanley Rother visited whenever he was in Oklahoma, allowing her to get to know him. And in June, Davito attended the pallium Mass of Pope Leo IV.

The duo became famous travel pals, too.

“In 1981, he decided to take a small group from Tulsa to the Holy Land and Rome and asked if I would like to go along,” Davito said. “I had to get a passport, as I had never been out of the country before!

“It was a wonderful trip and I watched everything that he did as our leader. And when we came home, he said, ‘Now do you think you could handle a pilgrimage?’

“That was the first of our 29 pilgrimages in 30 years. We covered a lot of territory and took groups of 25 to 100 persons. Most popular, of course, were the Holy Land, Rome and Guatemala.”

When Beltran retired as archbishop, the two remained close. They often dined together and Davito ran errands for the archbishop emeritus. When he helped with confirmations, she would drive.

“I felt my job was to make his job easier,” she said.

With the extra time, they attended classical concerts together and went on drives through the countryside. They rode bicycles around Lake Hefner. And they went on many vacations together, with friends often happy to join in.

As Beltran grew older, his health, as it often does, became a challenge. Still, Davito remained by his side.

“When archbishop felt the time was getting close that he would not be able to say Mass at home anymore, he said to me, ‘When I can no longer say Mass, I want you to attend every day the 11:30 Mass and pray for me.’”

And she did, always seated in the front pew.

“As he began to decline,” she said, “I spent more and more time with him as I realized I was losing my best friend. He hoped to have a peaceful death at home, which the Lord granted him. My wish was to be with him at the very end and I was.”

Archbishop Coakley said, “I got to know Carol upon my arrival in the archdiocese. 

Archbishop Beltran was retiring and she had already served as his assistant for many years since he first came to Oklahoma as Bishop of Tulsa. Carol was determined to continue to serve as his assistant for as long as she could.

“Her devotion to the Church and to Archbishop Beltran until the end of his life have been a beautiful witness.”

Now, Davito is readying for what and where is next.

“My life now seems rather weird, adjusting to not having Archbishop Beltran in my life,” she said. “I have always loved to travel and will continue to do so as long as my health and money holds out. In fact, the first two weeks of February, a friend and I will be going to Japan. 

“I plan to continue working at the USCCB annual meetings, as I have been doing registration for the bishops for about 20 years. I do Tai Chi, hope to join an exercise program, have more time to read and socialize with friends. I still love the OKC Thunder and will continue to be a big fan of theirs!”

John Helsley is editor of the Sooner Catholic.


Photo: (Above) Carol Davito assisted the late Archbishop Emeritus Eusebius Beltran prior to the Chrism Mass on March 25, 2024, at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City. Photo Chris Porter/Sooner Catholic. 
Carol Davito and Archbishop Beltran watching the Thunder game in his home. Photo provided.