Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine

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Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine
Rother Shrine.jpg
Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine
Location700 SE 89th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73149
United States
Denomination Catholic Church
Website www.rothershrine.org
History
DedicatedFebruary 17, 2023 [1]
Relics held Stanley Rother
Architecture
Architect(s) Franck & Lohsen Architects [2] ADG [2]
Style Spanish Colonial style
Groundbreaking November 3, 2019 [3]
Specifications
Capacity2,000 [2]
Nave height103 ft. [2]
Floor area35,000 sq. ft. [2]
Administration
Archdiocese Oklahoma City
Clergy
Rector Father Don Wolf [4]

The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to Stanley Rother, Oklahoma-born priest, missionary, and martyr. The shrine, which serves as a church, a museum, and a pilgrimage site, is located along I-35 on the south side of Oklahoma City, in the United States. In its first year of operation, the shrine saw roughly 120,000 pilgrims and visitors. [5]

Contents

History

The 53-acre property on which the shrine now stands was previously a 9-hole golf course, which was purchased by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 2016. [6] After Stanley Rother was beatified (declared "Blessed") in 2017, [7] the archdiocese began the process of designing and building a shrine in his honor on the property in southern Oklahoma City.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place on November 3, 2019, [3] and construction truly began in April of 2020. [2] Work was led by Tony Yanda, senior director of operations with the project's general contractor, The Boldt Co. [2] Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on construction, [8] completion of the project was only slightly delayed. [2] [9]

The dedication Mass was celebrated by Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul S. Coakley on February 17, 2023, with roughly 3,000 attendees from around the world. [10] In the week leading up to the dedication, the shrine hosted a variety of milestone events, including the transfer of the body of Stanley Rother from Oklahoma City's Resurrection Memorial Cemetery to the altar of the shrine's chapel. [11] Among attendees of the dedication week's events were dozens of bishops as well as members of the Rother family, including Stanley's sister, Marita Rother. [12]

In its first year of operation, the shrine saw roughly 120,000 pilgrims and visitors. [5]

Offerings and campus

Mass at the shrine in January 2024 Rother Shrine Mass.jpg
Mass at the shrine in January 2024

The shrine currently features a 35,000 sq. ft. church, which is the largest Catholic church in the state of Oklahoma. [2] The church was built in the spanish colonial style, inspired by the parish where Stanley Rother lived, served, and died in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. [13]

On the east side of the church is a smaller chapel, where the body of Rother rests within the altar. [13] The apse of the chapel features a mural, designed by EverGreene Studios of Brooklyn, N.Y. [13] The mural depicts Rother's arrival into heaven, where he is welcomed by Jesus Christ and a collection of other martyr-saints. [13]

Apse mural in the Chapel of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Rother Shrine Chapel Mural.jpg
Apse mural in the Chapel of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine

In an adjacent building known as the Pilgrim Center, the shrine has a museum, dedicated to telling the story of Rother's life and legacy. [14] The museum was designed by Exhibit Concepts, who also designed the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Museum, and includes many of Rother's belongings. [14]

Continued construction and development is planned for the shrine, including a rectory and a two-story ministry building with classrooms and space for events. [2]

Stanley Rother

Stanley Rother was an American Roman Catholic priest from Okarche, Oklahoma who was murdered in Guatemala in 1981, where he had served as a missionary priest since 1968. In 2016, Pope Francis confirmed that Rother had died a martyr, leading to Rother's beatification on September 23, 2017, in Oklahoma City. He is the first U.S.-born priest and martyr to be beatified by the Catholic Church, and is only the second person to be beatified on American soil. [15]

See also

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References

  1. Hinton, Carla (February 17, 2023). "The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine is officially open. What to know". The Oklahoman . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 McNutt, Kathryn (February 16, 2023). "'LABOR OF FAITH': Rother shrine will draw the multitudes to OKC". The Journal Record . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "History of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine" . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  4. "Staff" . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Hinton, Carla (February 11, 2024). "A year later, Blessed Stanley Rother shrine offering worship, fellowship in spectacular setting". The Oklahoman . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  6. Hinton, Carla (June 11, 2016). "Catholics plan to build church at south Oklahoma City golf course". The Oklahoman . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  7. Ruiz Scaperlanda, Maria (September 2023). "St. Anthony Messenger: Blessed Stanley Rother". Franciscan Media . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  8. Stover, Michael (2020). "Dealing With The Construction Impacts Of COVID-19". American Bar Association . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  9. Raache, Hicham (August 23, 2022). "Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine dedication pushed back three months". KFOR-TV . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  10. Hinton, Carla (February 17, 2023). "'A work of love by many.' Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine is dedicated in Oklahoma City". The Oklahoman . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  11. Hoke, Doug (February 12, 2023). "Photos: Body of Blessed Stanley Rother moved to new shrine ahead of dedication". The Oklahoman . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  12. McKeown, Jonah (February 17, 2023). "'He was a good shepherd': Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine dedicated in Oklahoma City". Catholic News Agency . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Holt, Avery (July 13, 2023). "'A closer look at the elements of the Bl. Stanley Rother Shrine". Sooner Catholic . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Staff" . Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  15. Ross Jr., Bobby (September 23, 2017). "First beatification Mass for US-born priest and martyr draws thousands". Religion News Service . Retrieved October 10, 2017.

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