St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, a Parish rich in history

Old Eufaula (North Fork Town) was a Creek Indian Settlement established around 1832, a few miles east of the present town site. When the MK&T railroad was built through the area in 1871, the community moved to its present location.

Soon after the establishment of Eufaula, the Catholic residents were served by the missionary priests to the Indians. Rev. Paul Ponsiglione, a Jesuit priest from the Osage Mission of St Paul, Kansas, records that while at Eufaula in July 1871, he offered Mass outdoors in the presence of a large crowd of Indians. Another early missionary was Rev. Michael Smyth, who served with his brother, Rev. Lawrence Smyth at St. Patrick Church in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

Rev. William Ketcham was the prime mover in building the first Cathoic Church in Eufaula. The white frame churdh, dedicated as the "Church of the Most Precious Blood," stood on Main Street just south of the present Wagoner Hardware Store.

In 1909, C. H. Tully deeded the local church a block of land on North Third Street, bounded by Rock Avenue, Fourth Street, and Railey Avenue. The property included a nice frame house which was used as the rectory from 1909 to 1926 when Eufaula became a mission of Muskogee.

Around 1915 the church building on South Main was moved to the corner of Third and Railey. When Lake Eufaula was created, the church building stood on land condemned by the Corps of Engineers. The parish was thus forced to find a new location. C. L. Follansbee, pioneer businessman and life long Catholic, provided the lot at Forrest Avenue and Sixth Street for a new church. With condemnation funds, and Extension Society grant of $10,000, and generous pledges from parishioners, a new brick sanctuary and parish hall were completed.

The new church was named in honor of St. Paul the Apostle and the first Mass was offered at midnight on Christmas Eve, 1962, by Rev. Robert Kropp, Associated Pastor at St. John's, McAlester. The Church was dedicated by Bishop Victor J. Reed on the afternoon of March 17, 1963, assisted by Rev. Ferdinand F. Meis, pastor of the McAlester parish. In addition to Rev. Kropp, numerous other priests, many of them formerly in charge of the mission were present for the occasion.

On Saturday, December 7, 1974, Bishop Bernard J. Ganter of Tulsa, dedicated St. Paul's Education Center building located about 200 feet south of the Church. After blessing the building, Bishop Ganter Called it the "House of Color" referring to the lively decorator shades chosen for the interior by Rev. Brooks from St. Joseph's Parish in Krebs.