A property dispute involving one of Oklahoma City's oldest and most storied Catholic churches has drawn the attention of the Vatican. Little Flower Catholic Church, a south side parish, sits at the center of a disagreement between two Catholic organizations, and Rome is expected to weigh in soon.
The announcement came from Michael Scaperlanda, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, who said Wednesday that Rome is expected to weigh in, according to The Oklahoman.
Little Flower Catholic Church sits at 1125 S. Walker Avenue, per the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
A Century of Carmelite Roots in South OKC
Little Flower's history stretches back to 1914, when Discalced Carmelite friars fled a threat from Pancho Villa and arrived in Oklahoma. Three of those priests reportedly escaped execution in Mexico before establishing the mission here, and Bishop Theophile Meerschaert formally designated the order to oversee Hispanic ministry in Oklahoma City in 1921, the archdiocese's historical account notes.
The Little Flower Magazine, created in 1920 by Carmelite Father Bernardo Brotons, grew to a national circulation of more than 100,000 subscribers and promoted devotion to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the archdiocesan history states.
Carmelite clergy serve at the parish.
The Canon Law Behind the Dispute
Disputes like this one are not new territory for the Catholic Church's internal legal system. Under Canon Law 681, apostolic works and real property entrusted by a diocesan bishop to a religious order must be governed by a written agreement defining specific duties, staffing, and financial arrangements, according to CanonLaw.Ninja. Unresolved administrative appeals under that framework ultimately fall under the jurisdiction of Vatican dicasteries in Rome.
This is not the first time archdiocesan and Carmelite leadership have clashed over authority at Little Flower. Historical records show that in 1974, Archbishop John Quinn requested that Carmelite leadership remove a pastor serving at the parish, a jurisdictional flashpoint documented in an independent 2019 legal report compiled by Bishop Accountability.
Parish Events Amid the Uncertainty
The celebration of sacraments is expected to continue during the transition. In December 2025, Father Scott Boeckman, the parish's parochial vicar, received a Human Rights Award from the Oklahoma Universal Human Rights Alliance for his spiritual leadership and service to the southside Hispanic community, with the honor presented at the Oklahoma State House of Representatives, the archdiocese announced.
The parish has also continued its long-standing community outreach model. In 2009, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, originally established as a mission outreach of Little Flower, was repurposed by the archdiocese and Catholic Charities into the Sanctuary Women's Development Center, which provides case management services for unhoused women, according to the Oklahoma Gazette.
The parish announced in August that its grand festival will take place October 3 and 4 at 1125 S. Walker Avenue, with food and three prizes, according to the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
The church's fate remains up in the air, with Rome expected to weigh in soon.
