The St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church has been part of this small community since the earliest days of the Cherokee Strip land run of 1893.
Very little about the church's history can be found on-line, as you might expect for a small town with an older population.
Mass times at St. Rose of Lima are as follows, but the doors are available to see anytime:
Saturday Mass - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday a.m. Mass - 10:30 a.m.
From the Cherokee Strip Museum website: (
visit link)
"Bob and Betty Edgar gave me a page from the newspaper published by the Catholic church attended by their daughter, Jacquetta, and her husband, David Johnson, in Midwest City. It's tabloid-size and very professional looking. This particular page contains photographs and an interesting article about the bronze doors gracing the front of our own St. Rose of Lima Catholic church. The text and photos, by Cara Koenig, relate that "the five doors of the church...each depict a scene or symbol. Cast in bronze, they are as much about art as they are about function. And they are unique to this small parish in central Oklahoma."
The writer goes on to explain that the main flank of double doors, facing the east, are covered by two fish with the Greek letters, IXOYC, the abbreviation for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Under the fish are anchors, the symbol of, the church, and under the fishes and anchors, fittingly, are the names and symbols of the 12 apostles. Each of these great doors weighs 500 pounds, and all were made in Italy. A gift from an anonymous donor, the doors' designer was Father Ward Pankratz, former parish priest here.
The two bronze beauties, the central doors, are the work of the late George Queen, who was a member of St. Rose of Lima. George's wife, Ruth, who has been ill lately, still lives in Perry. George left dedications at the bottom of both doors, one to his mother and one to Ruth's mother. Each door stands more than 8 feet tall and they are split in three pieces. The doors weigh approximately 1,000 pounds each. The piece is an interesting article about one of Perry's most beautiful churches. It would be worth your time to have a close-up look at those doors if you haven't already done so." [end]