Pastors of Payne (County)

Jumping into a debate of the day, Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry speak to the Catholic Church's truly catholic/universal world view that includes images of Jesus and Mary as being from many countries around the world.

With the school year right around the crowd, Fr. Kerry Wakulich tells us (with Fr. O'Brien's help!) about what students and parents can expect for life at St. John Catholic Student Center. From FOCUS missionaries, to Bible studies, to Sunday Mass, daily Mass, Adoration, and Confessions, we've got you covered

The three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love are known to many. In this time of pandemic, hope is something we can use more of. Join Father O'Brien and Father Kerry on a walk through the Catechism and other documents of the Church on the virtue of hope.

As we prepare the celebrate the Memorial of Oklahoma priest and martyr Stanley Rother, our Payne County pastors tell the story of his life and ministry and bring it all back to Stillwater to show that we can do what Blessed Stanley Rother did. We can be missionary disciples here, there, and everywhere. To learn more about Blessed Stanley Rother- https://archokc.org/stanleyrother

With Fr. Kerry out of town, Fr. O'Brien is joined by Dr. Matt Cabeen, a Catholic and an OSU microbiologist. We're talking about whether science and faith can go together and how the Catholic Church views and relates to the scientific world. Enjoy!

With Fr. O'Brien enjoying the mountains, Fr. Kerry takes the mic for a spirited interview with Benedictine Monk Father Paul Sheller, OSB. Fr. Paul is a Stillwater native and his parents are parishioners at St. Francis Xavier. A former seminarian of the Diocese of Tulsa, Fr. Paul joined Conception Abbey and holds numerous jobs in the monastery there. Enjoy!

When we come to Mass (or in these days, watch it), a sacrifice is taking place. What do we mean by that? Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry are getting theological this week walking you through the true meaning of sacrifice and how Catholicism rings true.

Bringing in the the theology of the Incarnation and of spiritual communion, Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry discuss the efficacy of watching the Mass vs. being present for it. A timely topic indeed!

Joined by Diocese of Tulsa seminarian Leo Morales and on the heels of racial unrest around the country, Fr. Kerry and Fr. O'Brien discuss Corpus Christi and the beautiful graces the Lord gives us through the Eucharist. This includes the grace to really love and welcome all those around us.

Arguments come and go about who is the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan? LeBron? Kareem? Magic? Kobe? But what can we learn about our spiritual lives from the basketball career of Michael Jordan? This week's podcast and radio show will make you laugh and challenge you to be a better follower of Jesus Christ!

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, Father O'Brien and Father Kerry discuss the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Over the centuries, various heresies have sprung up that distort true teaching on the Holy Spirit. Listen and find out more!

On Friday May 29, 2020, Fr. Kerry Wakulich celebrates 10 years of priesthood! Our priests look back at the ups and downs of priesthood in the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma and focus especially on Fr. Kerry's various assignments and his life as a Priest of Jesus Christ!

As the parish gradually opens up from the two month Covid-19 lockdown, Fr. Kerry and Fr. O'Brien talk through what it will be like to publicly celebrate the Mass for the first time since March 19th. You can learn more about the specifics of Mass and Confession times on the parish websites: CatholicPokes.com SFXStillwater.org

It's Mothers Day and your Pastors of Payne love their moms! Both moms played a huge role in their sons' walk with the Lord and their priestly vocations. Join in the fun as our priests pay tribute their awesome mothers!

During the time of Covid-19, there's a lot of disappointment. RCIA candidates and catechumens, First Communion kids, Confirmation students, no public Easter vigil, having to stay home, not being able to come to Mass, not being able to see our loved ones and so much more bring about disappointment. As people of faith, what do we do with our disappointment? Listen in as Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry talk us through it all.

In the Easter season, it's common to see media accounts attempting to debunk the historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus. In this episode, Fr. Kerry and Fr. O'Brien are joined by Diocese of Tulsa seminarian Alessandro Calderoni and they discuss the best arguments to prove the resurrection.

During this time of Covid-19, we've been praying the rosary each night at 7:00pm. Hundreds of people has joined us in this nightly ritual. The rosary is a beautiful way to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ and to ask for the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this episode of "Pastors of Payne", Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry talk about how to pray the rosary, the history of the rosary, and the role it's played in their lives.

Happy Easter! This week Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry give insights into what ministry in Payne County looks like in a time of quarantine and social distancing. It would seem that there would not be a lot to do but our priests and working hard to keep people connected and to help everyone to pray.

Recorded before the outbreak of Covid-19, Fr. Kerry and Fr. O'Brien introduce us to the holiest days of the year, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday leading into the Octave of Easter. This year's Triduum will be celebrated privately and live streamed at both St. John Catholic Student Center and St. Francis Xavier.

With public celebrations of the Mass on hold across the United States, this is a time to embrace The Liturgy of the Hours. Called "The Prayer of the Church", the Liturgy of the Hours is easily accessible via smartphones and computers and also through the 1 or 4 volume breviary. Here's the link to the iPhone app- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ibreviary-ts-plus/id422601705 Android- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netguru.ibreviary&hl=en_US 4 volume set- https://www.amazon.com/Liturgy-Hours-Large-Print-Leather/dp/0899427103 Listen in as Fr. Kerry and Fr. O'Brien explain the beauty of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The world is very different than it was just a few days ago. Speaking to the issues on many people's minds, Fr. Kerry and Fr. O'Brien talk about COVID-19, the suspension of the public celebrations of Mass, and how we can carry on.

The Stations of the Cross is a big part of the devotional life of Catholics in Payne County. Offered each Friday of Lent at St. John Catholic Student Center and St. Francis Xavier, the Stations helps us walk through the last hours of Jesus before His death. Join us for Stations of the Cross here in Stillwater or at a parish near you! Bring the kids, bring friends curious about the Catholic faith.

A recent USA Today editorial noted that the morale of priests in the United States has never been lower. The sexual abuse scandals, more demands on their time, and an increasingly complex pastoral landscape have priests feeling less supported. Is that true? Is that true in Payne County? Father Kerry and Father O'Brien dive in on morale of priests, lowliness, and the importance of priestly fraternity. Here's the editorial from USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/02/15/time-scandal-faithful-priests-love-more-ever-column/4723836002/

During the Season of Lent, we are called to increased prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In this week's "Pastors of Payne", our Payne County pastors talk about why we fast, how it can help us, and how it brings glory to God!

The Houston Astros recently admitted to cheating in the course of their 2017 World Series Championship season. With Father O'Brien being a HUGE Astros fan, our priests spent this episode talking about how your conversion, this Lenten season, and the Astros cheating scandal can come together. Enjoy the episode!

The 40 Days of Lent are approaching (February 26th) and the Pastors of Payne are answering your common questions about the season of Lent. Why purple? Why 40 days? How we set the date of Easter? What counts as meat? Why ashes? Tune in for these and other common questions about the Season of Lent. We're glad you're listening!

At the Mass, how are we to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist? It's the most important thing we do all week. We thought an episode should cover the do's and don'ts of Holy Communion. Give it a listen and pass it on to anyone interested in this important topic.

Father Kerry is joined by St. John Catholic Student Center Intern Clay Furley! They are talking about how to deepen your prayer life. Enjoy!

A few months back we did an amazing episode on "Annoying Things Our Parishioners Do". For those who listened to it, it was a fun, information filled episode about how people can be better Catholics and help their priests evangelize better. This episode is all about the annoying things (present company included!) priests do. We try to help you better understand the life of priests. Give it a listen and let us know what you think. What did we miss?

With the upcoming 47th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, Father O'Brien and Father Kerry talk about the consistent teaching of the Church from the earliest centuries on the dignity of human life. It's not the easiest topic, but it's the social justice issue of our times so it's good to be informed.

2020 is upon us and The Pastors of Payne are helping you get off your butt and back into good spiritual habits for the year ahead. Fr. Kerry highlights the many events of "Welcome Week" to get the students of St. John Catholic Student Center off to a great start. Listen it and pass it on to anyone you know in Payne County!

With Father Kerry out of town, Fr. O'Brien teams up with St. Francis Xavier Associate Pastor Fr. Robert Duck to talk about the meaning of Christmas in our everyday lives. It is the Incarnation that centers our understanding of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Enjoy!

As the Church celebrates the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the Pastors of Payne talk about St. Joseph and his many important titles. He is a great example and a great intercessor! So much, our priests named their new home, the St. Joseph Priest Residence. St. Joseph, pray for us!

The Incarnation is a central event in our history. When Jesus was born, we saw the face of God. So what does God look like? Father O'Brien and Father Kerry tackle a question that many have pondered.

When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego in December of 1531, the history of Mexico and all of North America was changed forever. Father O'Brien and Father Kerry tell the story and why it matters to us all these years later.

How's your Advent? Fr. Kerry and Fr. O'Brien want you to have the greatest Advent of your life! They walk through great Advent hymns and talk you through some of the great themes of Advent. Enjoy!

Is Christmas a pagan holiday? This time of year, popular culture will make various claims regarding the origins of Christmas. Father O'Brien and Father Kerry get to the heart of it and set the record straight. Whether as a podcast or on the radio, "Pastors of Payne" will not disappoint. Spread the word!

For a variety of reasons, some Catholics don't come to Mass on a regularly basis. Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry try to address those reasons and invite non-practicing Catholics back to Mass! This episode is great to pass on to family and friends!

It's become common to refer to a funeral as a "celebration of life." Catholic theology views the funeral differently. It is an opportunity to pray for the soul of the one who has died. In this week's episode, Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry flush out the Catholic Church's theology of prayers for the dead. Enjoy!

To celebrate Vocations Awareness Week, Father Kerry and Father O'Brien tell the stories of their influences and major events on how they became priests. Tune in for fast paced and interesting stories of our Stillwater pastors. "Pastors of Payne" is available on the radio statewide on the Oklahoma Catholic Broadcasting Network on Wednesdays at 3:30pm and on Pete 94.3 and AM 780 in Stillwater.

With the Solemnity of All Saints behind us, we're talking about some of our favorite lesser known saints. St. Francis Xavier Associate Pastor Fr. Robert Duck joined us as a special guest!

It's a question we get asked a lot: Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? Short answer: no but there's a lot to explain. Join us for a walk through Scripture, a short Greek lesson, and an explanation for the Catholic belief of Mary being "ever virgin."

Where does the Nicene Creed come from? The Council of Nicea! This week, our Stillwater based priests discuss the history and importance of Church councils. Over the centuries there have been a bunch. What are they and what are they important? Tune in and find out. The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With the forthcoming opening (October 20, 2019) of the St. Joseph Priest Residence (aka the rectory), wherein all the priests of Stillwater where live, Father Kerry and Father O'Brien speak about this new building, its importance to the life of the parishes of Stillwater and to the priests themselves.

Inspired by Luke 16 (The Rich Man and Lazarus), Father O'Brien and Father Kerry teach on how we can best serve those in need right in our midst.

Do Catholics have to get married in a church? In a Catholic church? The Pastors of Payne (County) dive in to the question many young people are asking as they prepare for marriage. Listen on Sunday mornings at 9:30am on Pete 94.3FM in Stillwater and as a podcast on Spotify, Google, and Apple.

What annoys the Pastors of Payne? This week, Father Kerry and Father O'Brien explain the annoying habits of their parishioners. It's not a rant! It's to help us all be holier and better evangelizers!

In light of recent events in Stillwater, Father O'Brien and Father Kerry discuss the local situation and the Catholic Church's views on immigration.

With the arrival of the new St. Teresa of Calcutta statue at St. Francis Xavier, our Stillwater priests jump into to the old arguments about Catholics and our use of images in our churches and homes. Do Catholics worship graven images? Listen and find out (hint: NO!).

Father O'Brien and Father Kerry are talking about the Eucharist again! Having looked at the Old and New Testaments and the Early Church, they offer practical advice on increasing your devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.