Dean's Message for March 19, 2026

Author:
March 19, 2026

Beloveds,

For many months now, you may have noticed several names on our parish prayer list—individuals from our Cathedral community who have been discerning a call to ordained ministry in the Church. As a parish family, we have been praying for them regularly, both aloud in our liturgy and in our personal prayers, and I am grateful for the care and support you have shown them along the way.

In the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, discerning a call to ordained ministry is a careful and prayerful journey that unfolds in community. It often begins with conversations with one’s priest and continues through a parish discernment committee, where individuals spend time in prayer, study, and reflection. Along the way they meet with diocesan leaders, the bishop, and other members of the diocesan discernment process. It is intentionally not a straight line. Some continue forward, some pause for a season, and others discern that their call may be expressed in different ways. At every stage, the goal is faithful listening to where God may be leading.

I am grateful to share that four members of our Cathedral community—Mark, JD, Jesse, and Christopher—have now moved from aspirant to postulant status as they continue discerning a call to bivocational priesthood. This is a meaningful step in the life of the Church, and we give thanks for their courage and faithfulness as they continue this journey. I invite you to continue keeping them in your prayers as their discernment unfolds.

You may also remember that our staff member Ashley Ozan had been part of this discernment process as well. After prayerful reflection, Ashley has discerned that this is not the right time for her to continue moving forward toward ordination. Discernment sometimes calls us forward and sometimes invites us to pause, and both are faithful responses to God’s leading. Ashley continues to share her gifts in important ways here at St. Paul’s, and we are grateful for her continued ministry among us.

Please continue to pray for all who are discerning God’s call in their lives, and for the ways the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church.These weeks invite us to keep walking faithfully: returning again to prayer, keeping the disciplines we have taken on, and allowing God to shape us in small but meaningful ways as we prepare our hearts for the great mystery of Easter.

As Easter approaches, many in our Cathedral family take this time to make a gift toward the Easter altar flowers, offered in memory of loved ones or in thanksgiving for God’s many blessings. These gifts help fill our sacred spaces with beauty and joy for the celebration of the Resurrection, and they are a meaningful way to honor those we love within the life of the Cathedral.

Thank you for the many ways you continue to journey through Lent together as a community of prayer, worship, and service. I look forward to seeing you in the weeks ahead as we continue this sacred path toward Holy Week and Easter.

The Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Very Reverend Katie Churchwell, 15th Dean, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

 

 

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