The only thing weirder than having an American Pope is having an American Pope with a Tulsa connection. Yes, this ultimate servant of the servants of God has walked the streets of his Chicago hometown, rooted for the White Sox, and presumably consumed some quantity of Malört. But from 1999 to 2001, he was sort of, kind of, a Cascia Hall Commando:
Before Cardinal Robert F. Prévost was Pope Leo XIV, he was a leader in the Augustinian order with connections to an Oklahoma diocese.
Prevost served as provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago, or Midwest Augustinians, from 1999 to 2014, and as part of his work leading the region, he left an impact on Oklahoma Augustinian schools and organizations.
He previously served on the Board of Directors at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa and even attended the dedication of the school's Saint Augustine Hall in 1999.
Cascia Hall headmaster Fr. Philip Cook reports that the man-who-is-now-Pope “was down here frequently for meetings, fostering relationships with the community here in our school.” But did he eat at Queenie’s? Did he catch a high school football game? Did he know about the psychedelics? We eagerly await the Tulsa chapter in Pope Leo XIV’s official biography. —Alicia Chesser
The Boys Are Tusslin'
Oklahoma songwriter Zach Bryan recently got paid a reported $350 million, which is a lot of money to give a guy whose songs are boring. And that’s not just my opinion!
Fellow Oklahoma songwriter and former collaborator John Moreland sounded off about the deal this week, posting that “$350 M is a lot of money to pay for the fuckin off-brand version of me. Y‘all have a great day” to his Instagram stories.
Naturally, this sparked rumors of beef (beef!) across content mill websites with names like Whiskey Riff, Saving Country Music and 12-Bar Moonshine. (I made that last one up, but you get the picture.)
It’s not worth getting into the petty details but I actually do have a bit of insight on the matter. I caught Moreland sharing a solo bill with John Fullbright at Mercury Lounge in December, where I clocked Bryan and a few of his buddies in the room, hectoring both singers in between songs. It clearly made Moreland uncomfortable onstage. But he played a great show, and I’d personally put any of his songs above Bryan’s entire catalog of melodramatic drivel. Look, I get that Bryan is massively popular, but I just refuse to believe that anybody would actually sit down and give their full attention to an entire ZB record without falling asleep.
The big question hanging over all of this: Who gets Mercury Lounge in the divorce? —Matt Carney
Tulsa News
- Sterlin Harjo’s TV series officially got a new name, The Lowdown, and a premiere date for Sept 23; says "The character Lee is an homage to the late Lee Roy Chapman. My friend, co-worker, and provocateur"
- NBC published a huge investigation into Joe Campbell, a local preacher accused of sexually assaulting children that immediately brought to mind This Land’s harrowing story “Grace in Broken Arrow”
- Gilcrease Museum is repatriating thousands of Native items back to Oklahoma tribes
- Tulsa Ballet is going on a European tour
- Gambill’s Pastaria appears to be opening new location in the old Ron’s at 81st and Harvard
- PGA Championship is coming to Tulsa in 2032
- One of the largest ammunition companies in the world is expanding its operations to Tulsa
- Tim Blake Nelson’s making a movie set in Oklahoma
State & Regional News
- Nightmare fuel: ICE raids Oklahoma City house looking for its former tenants
- A Level 1 trauma center in Tulsa is among other initiatives receiving fiscal support in this year’s state budget
- Hell yeah: OKC Starbucks employees walk off the job in protest
- Arts orgs statewide are bearing the weight of federal budget cuts
Jobs & Opportunities
- Ruth Nelson Family Foundation is hiring for multiple positions | Full-time | Salaries range from $75,000-$210,000
- Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative is hiring a Creative Marketing Coordinator | Full-time | Salary not listed
- City of Tulsa is hiring an Assistant City Attorney | Full-time | Salary ranges from $93,000 to $144,000
- City of Tulsa is hiring a Forensic Scientist | Full-time | Salary ranges from $54,000 to $90,000
