Fort Sill chapel celebrates 140th anniversary

[Disir]

FORT SILL, OK (KSWO) -The oldest house of worship in the state of Oklahoma is celebrating its 140th anniversary.

The Old Post Chapel was built on Fort Sill in 1875 by the 10th Calvary Buffalo Soldiers, and has been open and actively holding services ever since. To commemorate the anniversary of the historic building, Fort Sill chaplains are hosting a daily open house through Christmas Eve.

Dozens of people have entered the doors of the Old Post Chapel recently to take a trip back in time to learn the history behind the stained glass windows.

Chaplain Patrick Basal says even how the Buffalo Soldiers built the chapel is a story in its own.

“The structure changes if you look at the outside just above the windows. They had a nice building time frame and then all of a sudden winter started to set in so they were in a hurry to finish the building, and you can see how the bricks and stuff are smaller and thrown together to get the roof on," Maj. Basal explained.

Chaplain Aaron Oliver says since the roof has been on, there have been countless services that have served people from all walks of the faith.

"We've had many different religious service here, from Catholic to Jewish to Mormon and we currently have a Liturgical congregation with Anglicans and Lutherans, so we offer something for everyone I think," Capt. Oliver said.
Fort Sill chapel celebrates 140th anniversary

Old Post Chapel to observe anniversary

This is cool and, frankly, just sad.

 

[Sunni Man]

This is cool and, frankly, just sad.

What do you find sad about the story?

For me the story brings back a lot of memories.

My father was an Army officer stationed at Ft Sill when I was a kid. On sunday's my family attended the Catholic services at the Old Post Chapel many times.

Ft Sill is the main field artillery training center for the US Army.

The patron Saint of the artilleryman is Saint Barbara. So solders who were artillerymen would attend services at the chapel wearing Red colored sport coat blazers. Which is a long standing tradition among field artillery fraternity . My father, brother, and I, all wore the red blazer to Sunday mass at the chapel. .....

 

[Disir]

My dad was stationed there, too.

I have always found Oklahoma history, or frontier history on the whole, to be bittersweet.

Did you ever go here?
Holy City of the Wichitas Pageant | Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

We participated when I was very young--when the pageant was still ending at sunrise.

 

[Sunni Man]

My dad was stationed there, too.

I have always found Oklahoma history, or frontier history on the whole, to be bittersweet.

Did you ever go here?
Holy City of the Wichitas Pageant | Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

We participated when I was very young--when the pageant was still ending at sunrise.

I went to the easter sunrise service several times as a teenager. But it wasn't for religious reasons. Teens went there because you got to stay up all night. And it was a great place to meet girls. .....

 

[Disir]

My dad was stationed there, too.

I have always found Oklahoma history, or frontier history on the whole, to be bittersweet.

Did you ever go here?
Holy City of the Wichitas Pageant | Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

We participated when I was very young--when the pageant was still ending at sunrise.

I went to the easter sunrise service several times as a teenager. But it wasn't for religious reasons. Teens went there because you got to stay up all night. And it was a great place to meet girls. .....

Is that what was going on in all those cars? Ha.

We were done with all that when I was a teen. It was more of just something to do. I remember wearing those big wings and the wind moving me while I was trying to stay perfectly still and those lights blinding me when they came on.