St. Francis Xavier has a long, rich history in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  In the very beginning, there was no bishop, and no diocese.  The first priest in the area was a traveling missionary priest from Sacred Heart, a Benedictine Monastery near Shawnee.  In 1891, Bishop Theophile Meerschaert was appointed Vicar Apostolic.  He sent Father Felix de Grasse to pastor in Stillwater since he was stationed in residence of the first Bishop in Guthrie.  He later became the Abbot of Sacred Heart Abbey.  Due to the rough conditions, Father de Grasse’s visits to Stillwater were sporadic and there are very few written details of his visits.
 
The St. Francis Xavier Church building has had many transformations.  In 1899, the first church was built for $645.  It was 30’X40’, the interior was unplastered and the pews were only rough planks.  The first altar was built by A.M. Greiner, Father Greiner and Carol Ann Powell’s grandfather, from a packing box.  There was very little money raised, barely enough to pay the visiting priests.  In 1900, the Bishop decided to put a priest in either Pawnee or Stillwater-dependent upon which community could provide housing.  Once again, A.M. Greiner stepped forward and took up a collection in the amount of $250 to add two rooms to the back of the existing church.  This addition housed the first resident priest, Father John Dupret.  Through the years, a church at West Point was dismantled and the lumber was used to add on to St. Francis Xavier.  The altar from West Point was also moved here as well as some of their furnishings.  The church was officially dedicated on December 3, 1901.
 
In 1904, Stillwater had a Catholic church complete with a steeple, a sacristy, a school, a ½ story house for the nuns, a tiny 2-room rectory, and a half block of land midway between the business district and Oklahoma A&M College.  A new rectory was built in August 1914 for $3245.  In March 1915, the parish was incorporated under the title of St. Francis Xavier of Stillwater, Oklahoma with A.M. Greiner and Anton Schroeder as directors. By 1919, there were 75 families and 24 students at Oklahoma A&M College worshipping at St. Francis Xavier. 
 
In the early 1900’s there was great animosity and prejudice toward Catholics.  The fanaticism was fanned by the Ku Klux Klan, who had a parade down 6^th Street in 1917.  White robed figures rode on horseback carrying a firey cross.  Eye witnesses reported it was a chilling sight.  Reports are the St. Francis Church provided refuge to others during the tumultuous times. 
 
The current church was dedicated on March 25, 1951.  It was built for $161,000.  Father Beevers chose the Roman style with arches that were familiar to him from his native England.  He also selected the saints portrayed in the stained glass windows on the west side of the church under the rose window for the following reasons:  1) St. Gregory the Great because he is one of the great Doctors of the Latin Church; 2) St. Benedict, Founder of Monasticism, because the Benedictines had served the parish in the earliest, most difficult days; 3) St. Romuald, a holy monk known for his sanctity; and 4) St Bernard, Doctor of the Church, because of his reverence for learning and study.  
 

1896-1899     Rev. Willibrord Voogden
1899-1901      Rev. Alfred Dupret
1901-1906      Rev. John Heiring
1906-1912      Rev. Theophile Van Hulse
1912-1913       Rev. Joseph Lusar
1914-1925      Rev .Victor Van Durme
1925-1932      Rev. Emil Ghyssaert
1932-1940      Rev. Clarence McGinty
1940-1947      Rev. Victor Reed
1947-1957      Rev. Eric Beevers
1957-1961       Rev. John Loftus
1961-1965      Rev. William Pace
1965-1970      Rev. Joseph Howell
1970-1972      Rev. Howard Anthony
1972-1974      Rev. Finton McMahon
1974                Rev. Vincent McGouldrick
1974-1978      Rev. John Lundberg
1978-1989      Rev. Donald Smith
1989-1990      Rev. Ivan Hughes
1990-1991      Rev.  J. Richard Bradley
1990-2002     Rev. Robert Schlitt
2002-2017      Rev. Kenneth J. Harder
2018                Rev. Brian O'Brien

The crest, as we call it, is actually a coat of arms. It was designed by Fr. Jim White and Fr. Ken Harder in 2003 when Fr. Ken was first assigned to Stillwater. 

Since we are a parish, we are armigerous, meaning we are able to use heraldic achievement (a coat of arms). According to heraldic rules, only parishes can have a coat of arms defining their location and origin. Other organizations, such as Wal-Mart or another church, are not able to have a coat of arms.

 
In the St. Francis Xavier coat of arms, there is the heraldic symbol for water which is colored blue. The straight lines indicate the water is not moving, hence Still-water. The argent (silver) color is the background color and doesn’t signify anything as such.  
 
The green background color is symbolic of life and growth. The shucks of wheat show the farming origin of the founders of the parish.  The style of the cross on the green background was a style that was popular at the time the parish was founded and symbolizes the parish.  
 
The top cross is modeled after a processional cross symbolizing we are a parish. The diocesan coat of arms has a miter on top.