Chickasha parish celebrates 100th anniversary

In its infancy, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Chickasha celebrated Sunday Mass for no more than 20 people.

Since then – 100 years later – the parish has grown in every way, several times, recognized and celebrated with a centennial celebration on Sept. 13. Parishioners gathered for a potluck dinner and a carnival following Mass, with many wearing t-shirts to commemorate the church’s milestone anniversary.

The parish started simply, yet swiftly, with the first structure completed in 1926.

“To me, the most astonishing thing was how quickly the church was built – it took only months and was completed very quickly, especially by today's standards,” said Cathy Holdeman, who organized the historical work for the celebration.

The history of the Holy Name of Jesus Church is a rich one. When the Rock Island Railroad completed its main line to Chickasha in 1892, the town had about 20 buildings. The majority of the population consisted of railroad workers, some of them Catholic. 

An entry in “Diary of a Frontier Bishop,” the Rt. Rev. Theophile Meerschaert, stated that in Chickasha in 1892, there “were only about a dozen Catholics in town, a town of 1,200 to 1,500 inhabitants, only three months old!”

At this time, the Father Germanus Guillaume, O.S.B., who was the pastor of El Reno about 36 miles away, would trek to Chickasha once a month or so during the weekdays to celebrate Mass in private homes for local Catholics. Eventually, in 1895, Father Joseph Van Hulse was assigned to work with the Catholics in Chickasha by Bishop Meerschaert, who at that time was the vicar apostolic of the Indian Territory.

Because there was no rectory when Father Van Hulse was in town, he lived on the second floor in the Fitzpatrick building, where Mass was celebrated two Sundays of the month – the other Sundays, Mass was celebrated at the church in Minco. By 1896, when Father Francis Hall was assigned to Chickasha, a larger space was needed, and he arranged for Mass to be held regularly in the local Masonic Lodge until the completion of the first dedicated Catholic church in Chickasha.

According to their website, holynamechickasha.org, “The Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church was built in 1926, the work of architect Harold Gimeno. Many views it as his most beautiful design. The basilica-type church is noted for its beautiful rose window and its 60-foot-tall Gothic bell tower. It was constructed of red brick with limestone highlights. It marked Gimeno’s largest commission. Gimeno was the son of a noted artist at the University of Oklahoma and received a master's in architectural engineering from Harvard. He established his practice in Norman, around 1925, and his work can be viewed in several homes, fraternities, and a theater in Norman. “The interior of the Church is likewise a work of art. Beautiful marble altars and statues filled the cavernous interior. Over the years, the church building has been modernized and updated, most noticeably the ornate marble altar pieces and floors. But the building structure with its beautiful stained-glass windows remains the same.”

The church continues to thrive and serve in its community, with several parish organizations leading the way. Holy Name of Jesus Church has developed some unique traditions specific to its parish. 

“The one that comes immediately to my mind as a fairly new parishioner is the fish fry the Knights of Columbus hold during Lent every year,” Holdeman said. “It is a massive undertaking. They involve the youth of the parish as well as Holy Name's Catholic Daughters.

“Many people come from the general Chickasha community every week to enjoy the fish fry, not just parishioners. It is a major event which builds community not only in the parish but also with the non-Catholic population of Chickasha. There’s also a celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which started at Holy Name in 1997. Along with the Knights and the Daughters, we have a very active Cursillo group, Charismatic group, night Adoration, and Altar Society.”

Jolene Schonchin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.


Photos Cheryl Kochert.