Rother Shrine

[mugofbeer]

Our Lady of Perpetual Fundraising...

Our Lawyer of Perpetual religious negativism. Are YOU being forced to donate?

[Rover]

Our Lady of Perpetual Fundraising...

Some of the greatest churches in the world took years to fully build and furnish. In the microwave world we want everything done all at once and aren’t usually committed to long term building and improving. So, some people take a negative view if they can’t snap their fingers and have it.

[HOT ROD]

Probably was a mistake to close Villa Teresa, in retrospect. The Archdiocese should have expended it, modernized it, to encourage more sisters to come to the faith.

The development that's taking place there could have been done elsewhere in Midtown.

Oh well.

[Rover]

Probably was a mistake to close Villa Teresa, in retrospect. The Archdiocese should have expended it, modernized it, to encourage more sisters to come to the faith.

The development that's taking place there could have been done elsewhere in Midtown.

Oh well.

Villa Teresa is a private development. Rother Shrine isn’t? And they are separated by about a dozen miles. What’s the connection?

[bombermwc]

Thanks for the detailed description on the differences there. So sounds like it doesn't matter much in practical terms who gets the title.

For those concerned about the city, Rother is technically still in OKC. The Moore city line is just a bit south of there (literally, like 2 plots of land south at 97th st, just on the south side of the dual apartment complex), so it would still be in the "mother city' even if it did have a title change.

[Dob Hooligan]

Villa Teresa is a private development. Rother Shrine isn’t? And they are separated by about a dozen miles. What’s the connection?

I believe Villa Teresa was built as a Catholic school and convent.

[Rover]

I believe Villa Teresa was built as a Catholic school and convent.

Still don't understand why this is has to do with the Rother Shrine. Villa Teresa was never in the running for this or any big Catholic Church or Church led development. Back to Rother Shrine discussion....

[Dob Hooligan]

I'm guessing Hot Rod has an understanding of the Catholic church history in Oklahoma City that makes him think the loss of Villa Teresa as a convent and school has harmed the church efforts to get women to be nuns in the area. And since Bomber MWC mentioned a nunnery last week in post 366 the subject of females in church service has been discussed here,

I am not of the Catholic faith and have found this thread to be quite helpful in learning about the mechanics of the earthly church structure.

[oklip955]

Just to let some of you know that Villa Teresa belonged to the Carmelite sisters. They are a different entity then the Archdiocese, they are a religious community. They have the Archbishop's permission to be in the Okc Archdiocese and work here and also have their mother house here. Because of the lack of new vocations they closed the school and down sized to their current location. The cloistered Carmelite nuns in the Piedmont area also sold their convent grounds and left the state for the same reason. Many other religious communities of women as well as men are having to do the same all over the country due to falling numbers.

[HOT ROD]

Villa Teresa is a private development. Rother Shrine isn’t? And they are separated by about a dozen miles. What’s the connection?

Yes Dob, that was my point.

The sisters, the desire of the Arch to get more women into the ministry. We had that incubator with Villa Teresa (I could be wrong), which was built by the original catholics who came to OKC if I'm not mistaken.

I went to a catholic school in OKC for elementary, we had nuns running everything and I recall Villa Teresa as being the "model" for all schools. Can't imagine those schools without the dedicated, spiritual women.

[HOT ROD]

Just to let some of you know that Villa Teresa belonged to the Carmelite sisters. They are a different entity then the Archdiocese, they are a religious community. They have the Archbishop's permission to be in the Okc Archdiocese and work here and also have their mother house here. Because of the lack of new vocations they closed the school and down sized to their current location. The cloistered Carmelite nuns in the Piedmont area also sold their convent grounds and left the state for the same reason. Many other religious communities of women as well as men are having to do the same all over the country due to falling numbers.

Thank you for that OKLIP, I knew there was some connection but not being in OKC I didn't know why VT has shuttered; I just recall when it was announced and felt sad. I also thought that Catholic was rising, even in OKC but I could be wrong there as well. Sorry for moving us away from Rother Shrine; I do wish it success and hope they can resurrect the ministry of women in OKC Arch.

[CatholicSooner]

So related to The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, then how does somewhere like St Marks in Norman fit in. It's not the old style cathedral, but its pretty new and very nice. I went to a funeral there and it seemed like a very lovely place. There are so many churches, not just Catholic, that have the "old church" smell that's really off-putting to visitors. They smell of dying church. So while I'm glad to see some of the more historic places like Perpetual getting renovated to keep them in good shape, I wouldn't ignore some of other modern buildings. Or am i missing something in how these two are designated differently?

And it would seem obvious to me that if Rother was as big of a deal as he is said to be in this thread, then of course the Shrine will be THE place. it may be a bit before it gets there as it grows, but there's not comparison even to Perpetual and its beauty. I used to drive near Perpetual regularly when I was at OCU, and it was a nicely maintained church among the mess that was the area at the time. I'm very glad that the area is really starting to get some love as people renovate the homes too. But that's another topic.

wow lol. I don't mean to be rude but stating the smell of older Churches is the smell of a dying Church...what does that even mean? What an asinine comment

[oklip955]

Thank you for that OKLIP, I knew there was some connection but not being in OKC I didn't know why VT has shuttered; I just recall when it was announced and felt sad. I also thought that Catholic was rising, even in OKC but I could be wrong there as well. Sorry for moving us away from Rother Shrine; I do wish it success and hope they can resurrect the ministry of women in OKC Arch.

The community was originally formed to teach children in southeast Okla. The Bishop at that time (Okla had one diocese) invited them to come to Okc, with generous donors they were able to buy several properties and turn them into what was Villa Teresa. From there they also staffed a number of Catholic Schools. Over time they grew but in the 70;s to the present their numbers shrank as they attracted less and less women. Older sisters died so the numbers have shrank to what it is today. As I stated in an above post there are other forms of consecrated life for women besides being religious. There are some religious communities in other parts of the country that are in deed growing.

[oklip955]

Also note that the shrine parish is going to attract the rapidly growing Catholic hispanic population. The parishes on the south side have been busting at the seems so a much larger church building as well as other buildings is needed.

[Laramie]

Took my grandson to DPS off I-240 and Shields Blvd., to take his driver's test. Went by the Rother Shrine Church, the church and
Tepeyac Hill replica are visible from 89th Street. On the way back we took I-35 north from Moore and you could see the Church from the expressway.

Simply breath taking view of this $50 million Shrine and Church. ODOT needs to begin work on I-35 signage directions to the Rother Shrine complex.

[W8N2SKI]

This was bit surprising. The Archdioces of Oklahoma City is renovating an old building to the west of the church into a building with classrooms named Santo Toribio Romo Annex to BSR Shrine.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/10...xd9x?entry=ttu

[Jeepnokc]

This was bit surprising. The Archdioces of Oklahoma City is renovating an old building to the west of the church into a building with classrooms named Santo Toribio Romo Annex to BSR Shrine.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/10...xd9x?entry=ttu

That is quick information. I sold them that building and we just closed two days ago late in afternoon. It was nice to get money back from the church after paying catholic school tuition for three

[TheTravellers]

BTW, Discover Oklahoma had a nice piece about the Shrine on last Sat's show.

[amocore]

Is it the old RC club ?

[Jeepnokc]

Is it the old RC club ?

Yes. We bought it from them and remodeled it

[CatholicSooner]

This was bit surprising. The Archdioces of Oklahoma City is renovating an old building to the west of the church into a building with classrooms named Santo Toribio Romo Annex to BSR Shrine.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/10...xd9x?entry=ttu

Interesting...I thought there was still going to be another new building built on the campus to mirror the museum and gift shop building

[Jeepnokc]

Interesting...I thought there was still going to be another new building built on the campus to mirror the museum and gift shop building

I believe that is still in plans to build an educational building at some point but was under the impression that this met a short term need and would give them more time