New Bishop of Tulsa Makes His Own Crosier

"Deep in the heart of Texas, a campus chaplain is busy making his final spiritual and practical preparations for becoming a bishop.

"However, unlike many of his soon-to-be brother-bishops, Fr. David Konderla is carving his very own staff - or crosier - to signify his new position and duty as a teacher and head of a diocese.

"'Every Jedi has not completed his training until he's made his own light saber that he uses to fight evil with ' so this is my light saber,' Bishop-elect David Konderla told CNA in an interview.

On June 29, Fr. David Konderla will be ordained and installed as the Bishop of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Currently, the Bishop-elect serves as the Director of Campus Ministry for St. Mary's Catholic Center, the campus chaplaincy for Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

"A crosier is a hooked staff - based on the shape of a shepherd's staff - carried by bishops in the Catholic Church to symbolize their pastoral function in the Church. Other important symbols of a bishop's position are the pectoral cross worn on a bishop's chest, the mitre- or hat, and the episcopal ring."

A recent Catholic News Agency article profiled Father Konderla and the making of his crosier (he has made four previously for other bishops).

To access the complete Catholic News Agency report, please visit:

Catholic News Agency: 'This is my light saber' - Tulsa's new bishop makes his own staff (8 JUN 16)

Background information:

Diocese of Tulsa

St. Mary's Catholic Center at Texas A & M University: Fr. David Konderla