Opening Eucharist
St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral
127 NW 7th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 5:00PM

Join us for the Opening Eucharist at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Oklahoma City. This sacred gathering will set the tone for our time together, offering a moment of worship, reflection, and community in a beautiful and historic setting.

Dean Churchwell: Dean of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral since 2020, Dean Churchwell believes that God's presence is with us always, especially when we take big risks for God and our neighbor! A lifelong Episcopalian, Dean Churchwell has served in churches in Arizona, Oregon, Virginia, Texas, and Florida before making St. Paul's her spiritual home. Dean Churchwell is married to Logan and has three children. As Dean of the Cathedral, Dean Churchwell is responsible for the spiritual health and vitality of the cathedral, serves as Head of Staff for clergy and laity, chairs the Vestry (the lay leadership team of the Cathedral), and spends equal time bent over the Bible as she does spreadsheets.

Bishop Poulson: Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma since 2020, Bishop Poulson oversees 66 congregations, 5 Episcopal schools, 2 college chaplaincies, 2 senior care centers, and a camp and conference center. Bishop Poulson is a lifelong Episcopalian and the son of a church musician. Bishop Poulson is married to Megan and has three children. He studied writing at the University of Utah with former Poet Laureate Mark Strand (M.F.A. 1994), and received an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School in 1997, before ordination he worked as an English teacher. His greatest joy is to be with the faithful all-around Oklahoma, visiting our congregations and institutions, especially to teach, preach, celebrate the Eucharist, baptize, confirm, and ordain.

Supporting Healing and Renewal: Offertory Collection for Magdalene House OKC

Magdalene House serves women who have experienced abuse, sexual exploitation, addiction, or incarceration as they rebuild their lives and focus on healing and wholeness through trauma-informed therapy, physical, mental and dental health care, self-care, life skills training, and job training – all within the context of restorative relationships, professional support, accountability, and the safety of a home.

The Diocese of Oklahoma’s 2021 Bishop’s Appeal we raised $100,000 to provide the initial seed money for the establishment of Magdalene House. Magdalene House is a vision from the Rev. Becca Steven’s at Thistle Farms in Tennessee. Many Episcopalians in Oklahoma learned about the wonderful work of Thistle Farms, and knew Oklahoma needed a home like it. Since 2021, Magdalene House has purchased and renovated a home, developed a board of directors, hired an executive director, and built programs and developed partnerships with organizations and correctional centers. In 2024, the residency program opened its doors to four women and currently provides them with a safe and nurturing home for up to two years. 

Magdalene House is desperately needed. Oklahoma has one of the highest per capita rates of female incarceration in the United States. Few programs offer the long-term, trauma-informed recovery care needed for healing and reintegration into society. Magdalene House fills this gap by providing two-year residential care.