“The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run” in memory and honor of Blessed Stanley Rother

Blessed Stanley Francis Rother earned a bachelor’s degree in history at Southeastern Oklahoma State University while serving at his first parish, St. William Catholic Church in Durant. In 1968, at his own request, Rother was assigned to the diocese’s mission to the Tz’utujil people of Santiago Atitlán in the rural highlands of southwest Guatemala.  He served there until he was assassinated in 1981. He was beatified in 2017, becoming the first American-born priest and martyr to receive this honor from the Catholic Church.

Speaking in honor of The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run will be Father Don Wolf, rector at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City. Father Don Wolf, ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 1981, brings a wealth of experience and a profound connection to the community as the Rector of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, starting in July 2022. Sharing a special bond with the shrine through his relation as the cousin of Blessed Stanley Rother, Father Wolf embodies a legacy of faith and service. His leadership is inspired by a life deeply rooted in spiritual dedication, guiding the shrine as a beacon of hope and transformation, standing testament to the power of living a Christ-centered life in service to others.