CNS photo/Dave Crenshaw, Eastern Oklahoma Catholic

ALANTA—Archbishop Eusebius Joseph Beltran, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, died Sept. 12 at age 91. Archbishop Beltran was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta in 1960.  

He served in many roles and led several parishes in the Atlanta area before his appointment as bishop for Tulsa, Oklahoma. While serving in Georgia, he was active in the Civil Rights movement and attended Second Vatican Council sessions with Archbishop Paul Hallinan of Atlanta. 

Eusebius Beltran was born in Ashley, Penn., on Aug. 31, 1934, the son of Joseph C. Beltran and Helen Rita Kozlowski. Many members of his family moved to Georgia in the 1950s. Of the eight siblings, four chose the religious life—two became priests and two women religious. 

He attended Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Penn. He was ordained a priest in The Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, on May 14, 1960, by Bishop Francis E. Hyland.  

Following ordination, he began his ministry as a parochial vicar for the cathedral, then Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur, before being named pastor at St. Mary’s Church, Rome. He served as pastor of Holy Cross Church, Atlanta, from 1966-1972, and St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta, from 1972-1978. In addition, he was appointed presiding judge of the Metropolitan Tribunal and later as vicar general.  

He accompanied Archbishop Paul Hallinan to sessions of Vatican Council II. Father Beltran was priest-secretary of the Atlanta Synod of 1966, which was the diocesan response or implementation of Vatican II.  

Archbishop Beltran joined Civil Rights marches and demonstrations, including the Selma to Montgomery marches. 

In a 2015 interview with the Office of Archives and Records of Atlanta, Archbishop Beltran downplayed his own role in Civil Rights efforts. Instead, he drew attention to the work of St. Katharine Drexel in supporting the Black community many years before the Civil Rights movement gained momentum. 

Mother Katharine Drexel financially supported Our Lady of Lourdes Church and school in Atlanta, which her order, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, staffed for decades. Archbishop Beltran said that St. Katharine Drexel had “the greatest effect on the future of Black people in America. She doesn’t get any credit for it, but I give it to her because I believe she did it.” 

Bishop Eusebius Beltran of Tulsa returned to Atlanta to visit St. Anthony of Padua Church, where he had served as pastor, for a November 1982 homecoming Mass. He was later appointed Archbishop of Oklahoma City. Photo Courtesy of the Archives of Atlanta

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City called his predecessor a good shepherd. “His accomplishments are numerous to be sure,” he said. 

Father Beltran was appointed a bishop on Feb. 28, 1978, by St. Paul VI and was ordained and installed the second Bishop of Tulsa on April 20 at Holy Family Cathedral, Tulsa.  

During his 15 years in Tulsa, he was known for his concern for Catholic schools and vocations. He developed innovative programs and extended the church’s reach throughout eastern Oklahoma. 

On Nov. 24, 1992, Archbishop Beltran was appointed Archbishop of Oklahoma City. He was installed on Jan. 22, 1993, in the Oklahoma City Civic Center. He received his pallium on June 29, 1993, from Saint John Paul II. 

His nephew Joe Cebulski, parishioner of St. George Church, Newnan, remembered him with affection this week. Cebulski’s mother, Angie, was one of Archbishop Beltran’s sisters. 

“He has kept my family close over the years; calling me and my brothers and sisters on our birthdays and anniversaries. We have been privileged to go on several trips or pilgrimages with him over the years,” said Cebulski. “We were with him in Rome when he received his pallium from JPII and were fortunate enough for a private audience with JPII.” 

He added that on that same trip, they met Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who helped sing Happy Birthday to one of their fellow pilgrims.  

“My memories with Archbishop Beltran, who we called Father Zeb, Bishop Zeb, then Archbishop Zeb, are many of the best memories of my life,” said Cebulski. 

A devotion and generosity 

During his 18 years as Archbishop of Oklahoma City, he developed many programs including Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Camp, which opened in 2000 and thrives to this day. 

Perhaps one of his greatest achievements began in 2007 when he was granted permission to begin the Cause for Canonization of Father Stanley Rother. After years of research and interviews, more than 7,000 documents were sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. Ten years later, his vision came to fruition as Father Stanley Rother was declared the first U.S. martyr by Pope Francis, which led to his beatification in 2017.  

Archbishop Eusebius Beltran, archbishop emeritus of Oklahoma City, welcomed Jennifer Cawley Alvillar and her family for a July visit. He baptized her on Easter Sunday 1969 at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta.Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Cawley Alvillar

Jennifer Cawley Alvillar of Atlanta was baptized by Father Beltran at Easter Sunday Mass in 1969 at Holy Cross Church, where her parents, Jack and Alice Cawley, were founding members. 

“He was one of the amazing priests ever,” said Alvillar.  

She and her family were driving out west this summer, and they decided to stop in Oklahoma City to visit the archbishop, whom she still calls “Father Beltran.” Her fellow parishioner, and also a Beltran relative, Mike Cebulski helped arrange the July visit. 

“His mind was completely sharp,” she said of the archbishop.  

On the wall behind the archbishop’s chair were photos of all the popes he met. At one point, Archbishop Beltran told the family, “Follow me. I want to show you my private chapel.”  

One room of his home was a dedicated prayer chapel with a relic of Blessed Stanley Rother. He blessed them with the relic and encouraged them to take pictures, said Alvillar. They in turn said a prayer of healing for him.  

She said Archbishop Beltran was a humble priest and always deflected to others.  

“He loves and praises everyone else,” Alvillar said.  

The archbishop specifically mentioned the work of Catholic Charities and their work with the unhoused.  

“He was so proud of the way Catholic Charities operated in Oklahoma City,” she recalled. 

“He was generous with his time,” she said. For Alvillar, the visit was a special way to remember her late parents, their faith and friendship with the priest. 

Archbishop Beltran was a long-time member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, receiving the distinguished Silver Palm. He also was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He served on several committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

As required by church law, Archbishop Beltran submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI, in 2009, upon reaching the age of 75. He remained busy in retirement assisting with confirmations, Masses and visits to the aging and ill. 

A vigil will be held at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 23 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 3214 N. Lake Avenue, Oklahoma City. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Sept. 24, at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, 700 SE 89th Street, Oklahoma City.