This ministry seeks to be a support system to those parishioners who are homebound or otherwise isolated due to age, illness, or other circumstances.

Volunteers provide encouragement and kinship through friendly visits, phone calls, letters, or aid in connecting with other parish ministries that can assist in various ways.

Contact: Laurie O’Driscoll, maryanneministry@tulsacathedral.com.

 

 

 

Mary Anne Sánchez

1952-2024

 

Mary Anne Sánchez, 71, passed away peacefully on February 25, 2024. She was a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma for over 60 years.

Mary Anne was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas on April 21, 1952, the second child of schoolteachers Eliseo and Rachel Sánchez. The family moved to Tulsa in 1956. Summer vacations were spent in Mexico, where she became fluent in Spanish.

Mary Anne graduated from Bishop Kelley High School in 1970 and spent several years employed as an administrative assistant. She was an active member of both the Philbrook Museum of Art and Gilcrease Museum and enjoyed singing, caring for her dogs, reading mystery novels and rooting for local sports teams. She was a devout Catholic who treasured her pilgrimage to Rome as a highlight of her life.

Her later years were spent caring for her widowed mother. After her mother’s death in 2017, she derived great joy and consolation from her friendships in the Holy Family Cathedral community.

Mary Anne is survived by her beloved brother, Thomas Sánchez, her sister-in-law Deborah and her niece, Lindsay, who reside in Los Angeles, California

 

 

Mary Anne’s Story

by Maureen Petty

Mary Anne was a quiet, seemingly shy little lady whom I didn’t know very well, but she was a dedicated Adorer and loved our Lord. We could always depend on Mary Anne. Every Friday, without fail, a few minutes before 4:00 PM, she would walk into the church for Adoration. As she passed by me she would almost stop, then turn toward me, and give a wry little smile. Then she would go to her pew, always on the front aisle, and sitting as close to the Lord as she could.

So it became alarming when three Fridays went by and no one had seen or spoken to Mary Anne. We called and left messages that were never answered or returned. She didn’t use email and we had no contact information of any family members. Finally, my husband and I went to her home only to find her car in the garage but no answer at the door and no neighbors that had seen her. At that point many dear and caring parishioners became involved and as word traveled we found a friend of Mary Anne’s that knew of her brother, Tom Sánchez, who lives in California. Tom is a kind and wonderful man who was immediately worried. He flew to Tulsa within a day and after going to her house he discovered that Mary Anne had died alone in her home. We never knew the cause of death or how long Mary Anne was there alone, but it sent shock waves through the Holy Family community. Everyone was affected by the heartbreaking news and we began wondering what we could have done to help her.

If we had only known!

The loss of Mary Anne has been great but the death was not the end. Parishioners have realized that her tragic death should not happen to others in our parish community. Our Lord used Mary Anne to inspire formation of a wonderful new ministry where parishioners who live alone or are ill or in need of assistance will be checked on.

Mary Anne was a special lady and will continue to live in our hearts as this much needed ministry flourishes.