Saint Francis Xavier Sallisaw

07/18/2026

The Communion of Saints Is Alive Among Us!
When Catholics speak of the Communion of Saints in the Apostles’ Creed, we mean the whole Church united in Christ, both living and dead. This communion includes far more than the canonized saints whose names we know. It includes every member of the Body of Christ.
The Church Triumphant is made up of those already in Heaven, rejoicing in the presence of God. The Church Suffering includes the souls in Purgatory, being purified and prepared for Heaven. The Church Militant is all of us still on earth, striving to remain faithful, serve one another, and follow Christ. Though these three groups are in different states, they are not separated from one another. We are one family in Christ, joined by prayer, love, sacrifice, and grace.

Friday, that truth was visible in a beautiful way! Members of our Care Ministry baked homemade bread and brought it, along with wine and groceries, to the rectory in anticipation of Father Anthony’s arrival from Ghana. At the same time, Tri Nguyen and his wife were mowing and weed-eating the church lawn. Another parishioner was on the road to Fort Smith Airport to welcome Father Anthony and bring him home, even stopping at the store to replace the toothpaste that had been confiscated by the TSA!

None of these acts was grand or dramatic. Yet together they formed a living picture of the Communion of Saints. A missionary priest traveled from Ghana to serve a parish in Oklahoma. Parishioners prepared food, tended the grounds, opened the rectory, drove the miles, and handled the small details that make a stranger feel welcomed as a brother.

This is what the Church looks like when it remembers who it is. Heaven prays with us. The souls in Purgatory depend upon our prayers. We on earth carry one another through acts of love, service, hospitality, and faith.

The Communion of Saints is not only something we profess in the Creed. It is alive whenever Christ’s people care for one another!

07/18/2026

Welcome, Rev. Father Anthony Amponsah‑Poku!
A visiting Missionary Priest from the Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana!
And he is celebrating his 12‑year Ordination Anniversary this Sunday, July 19!
This weekend, our four churches have the joy of welcoming Rev. Father Anthony Amponsah‑Poku, a missionary priest traveling all the way from the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi in Ghana!
He arrives with a radiant smile, a gentle spirit, and a mission rooted in hope, faith, and the growth of the Church in rural communities!
Father Anthony serves as pastor of St. John of God Catholic Church in Atwima Koforidua, along with additional rural churches. His parishioners are hardworking farmers and small‑market traders who, despite limited resources, are striving to expand their church buildings. His mission appeal this weekend supports these efforts!
And here’s something special: Sunday, July 19 marks Father Anthony’s 12‑year anniversary of his priestly ordination! Let’s celebrate this milestone with joy, gratitude!
Missionary priests like Father Anthony remind us that the Catholic Church is truly universal — one family in Christ that spans every nation and language. From the villages of Ghana to the pews of Oklahoma, we share the same faith, the same prayers, and the same call to serve. His visit is a living sign of that worldwide communion, where generosity and grace flow freely between hearts and parishes.
Let’s make sure Father Anthony returns to Ghana knowing that Sequoyah County is overflowing with kindness, good food, and people who love their priests! RBM

07/18/2026

07/16/2026

A note from our visiting Missionary Priest this weekend, all the way from Ghana, Africa!
Peace of the Lord be with you!
I am Rev. Fr. Anthony Amponsah – Poku,
from the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi
-Ghana. I am here on a visit and also on a
mission appeals in aid of church
development in my parish. I have three churches in my
parish, namely St. John of God Church- Atwima Koforidua,
St. Anthony of Padua Church- Tabere and St. Mary
Magdalene Church- Mfensi.
My parish is a rural parish
which means that the people are mostly peasant farmers
with few petty traders. Although in all I have about eight
hundred and twenty parishioners, they are financially
constrained. Yet they are doing their best to expand their
church buildings. In the light of this, I come to you to plead
for your assistance financially in supporting the
development of my parish churches especially St. Anthony
of Padua church.
The mission appeal will be on July 18th & 19th, at all Masses. May God bless you for your kindness
and generosity in supporting the expansion of His church in
the other part of the world.

07/13/2026

📣 Attention Parents — Important Meeting!

All families with children from kindergarten through high school are invited to an important meeting on Sunday, August 16th, right after the 9–10 AM Mass at St. Francis Xavier. We’ll be sharing details about this year’s Family Faith Formation program and the new diocesan changes to sacramental preparation — including Confirmation and First Communion now happening together in 3rd grade.

Family Faith Formation begins Sunday, August 30th, meeting every Sunday (except holidays) after Mass, exactly where we’ve always held Religious Education. Parents are asked to attend with their children.

Two forms will be needed before classes begin:
• Parish Household Registration Form
• Permission & General Release Form for Minors
(Available after Mass and at the meeting.)

We look forward to growing in faith together this year!
— Erin Milteer, Family Faith Formation Director

07/11/2026

When Scripture Becomes Visible
Elsewhere in our weekly bulletin, we playfully connected the words of Psalm 65 and the Gospel of Matthew to real parish life. We spoke of seeds, good ground, growth, and harvest while describing a picnic, hospitality, donations, prayer, and service. That was more than an editor’s silly wordplay. It shows one of the ways Catholics understand Scripture and reality.

The Bible often teaches through images we can see and understand: seeds, soil, water, bread, light, vines, sheep, harvests, roads, storms, and homes. Jesus used parables because ordinary things can reveal extraordinary truths.

A seed is really a seed. Soil is really soil. A harvest is really a harvest. But in Scripture, these things can also point beyond themselves. A seed may represent the Word of God. Soil may represent the human heart. A harvest may represent the good fruit produced by faith.

Catholics do not believe that everything in the Bible is “only a metaphor.” Scripture contains history, law, poetry, prophecy, wisdom, letters, parables, and visions. Each passage must be
read according to the kind of writing it is and according to what the sacred author intended.

Catholics also believe that God uses visible things to reveal and accomplish spiritual realities. Water truly washes, but in Baptism it also becomes the means of new life in Christ. Bread and
wine are real created things, but in the Eucharist they become the Body and Blood of Christ. Oil remains oil, yet in the sacraments God uses it as a sign through which he gives grace.

The same pattern appears in parish life. Someone plants the “seed” of an idea. Others prepare the “soil” through work and generosity. God gives the growth. The visible result may be a meal, donation, picnic, or friendship. The spiritual result may be charity, hope, unity, or gratitude.

The metaphor does not replace reality. It helps us recognize the deeper reality already present.
The seed is planted. God gives the growth. And the harvest is grace

07/11/2026

Catholic Charities really, REALLY needs dry laundry soap. Clean clothing supports dignity, and powdered soap helps families stretch limited resources. We could also use deodorant, because an eastern Oklahoma summer is no respecter of persons. Please bring donations to the church.
Every gift helps. Small acts may not look dramatic, but even a little seed placed in good ground can become more than expected. This Week’s Unauthorized Editor’s Pick: A reminder that even Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would ask for shade in Eastern Oklahoma!

A Missionary Priest is coming! While Father Jeff enjoys time with family in Texas, we will welcome a visiting missionary priest Friday, July 17, through July 18–20. Volunteers from all four churches are invited to offer Oklahoma hospitality. Take him to lunch, show him around town, invite him for dinner! The Lupe Gonzales family has already offered to host him at their ranch. Their invitation is another good seed cast upon rich soil. To help fill his schedule, contact the Church Office or Terri & Tim Neylon of our Care Ministry. We would hate for our guest to return home believing Sallisaw has no restaurants, ranches, or people eager to feed a priest!

Was That a Fourth of July Church Picnic—or What?
A month ago, new parishioner Brian King scattered the seed of an idea: a Fourth of July picnic honoring our nation and veterans, strengthening our parish family, and giving children a reason to run through sprinklers while eating hot dogs! The seed did not fall on a path, where it could be trampled. It did not land among thorns, where busy schedules could choke it. It fell on the good ground of our parish community. Thanks to Brian’s work and generous donations—and to everyone who planned, cooked, carried, served, cleaned, donated, welcomed, and attended—the earth yielded its increase. Brian’s little seed produced a fruitful harvest of food, laughter, fellowship, and wet children!

Did You Catch All That? Did you notice what your Intrepid Editor has been doing?
Seeds. Soil. Sowing. Thorns. Growth. Rain. Harvest. Subtle as a church bell. :-)
At Mass we sing Psalm 65: “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.”
Then the readings begin appearing around us. Brian plants a picnic. The Gonzales family plants hospitality. Someone donates laundry soap. Another person offers prayer, time, food, encouragement, or welcome. God visits the earth and waters it. He crowns the year with goodness.
Ordinary acts of generosity begin producing more than expected. So keep sowing. Plant the invitation. Bring the laundry soap. Offer the meal. Say the prayer. Welcome the stranger at Mass. Suggest the slightly spontaneous picnic. The Sower is generous. The soil is ready. Let us see what God grows!

07/02/2026

📄 Forms & Resources for Our Four Parishes
To better serve our parish families at St. Francis Xavier (Sallisaw), St. Kateri Tekakwitha (Roland), St. Joseph (Webbers Falls), and St. John the Baptist (Gore), we’ve gathered all commonly used parish forms and helpful resources in one easy place.

Whether you’re registering for a sacrament, volunteering, requesting facility use, or updating parish information, you can find everything you need here.

👉 Visit our Forms & Resources page:

Youth Religious Education Permission Form

07/02/2026

Do we have the greatest parishioners or what? See that beautiful blue door? Painted by Greg & Joan Favorite. That freshly mown lawn? Cut by Brian King. And now, today, that gorgeous, patriotic flag over the door? Our own Lupe Gonzales... Christianity is not a solo adventure; Christianity is a team sport. And we have a great team....