Bishop Kelley Welcomes Rev. Joshua Votruba as Chaplain
April 10, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tulsa, OK—The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma
has announced that Rev. Joshua Votruba will serve as Chaplain of Bishop Kelley High School beginning July 1, 2026.
Ordained to the priesthood on June 25, 2021, Fr. Joshua currently serves as Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Cathedral and as Master of Ceremonies for Divine Liturgies for the Diocese.
Growing up in Tulsa most of his life, Fr. Joshua is a graduate of Union High School and studied Philosophy and Letters at the University of Dallas before completing his seminary formation at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, where he graduated in 2021. His home parish is the Church of St. Benedict in Broken Arrow.
Fr. Joshua’s vocation to the priesthood began at a young age through his experience serving at Mass and witnessing the joy of bringing others into the Church. That early encounter grew into a deep desire to help others know Christ more personally, a mission that continues to shape his priesthood today.
In addition to his parish and diocesan responsibilities, Fr. Joshua has experience working with young people through catechetical programs such as Totus Tuus, where he taught and mentored students in both classroom and small group settings.
As Bishop Kelley’s Chaplain, Fr. Joshua will play a central role in the spiritual life of the school, supporting students, faculty, and staff through the celebration of the sacraments, daily prayer, and ongoing faith formation.
We are grateful for the faithful service of our current Chaplain, Fr. Jon Fincher, whose care for our students and community over the past three years has been a true blessing.
“We look forward to welcoming Fr. Joshua to our school community,” said BK Principal Jim Franz. “His love for the Faith and his desire to bring others into a deeper relationship with Christ will be a blessing to Bishop Kelley. At the same time, we are also greatly appreciative of the excellent work Fr. Fincher did during his time at Bishop Kelley.”
Please join us in welcoming Fr. Joshua to Bishop Kelley.
Bishop Kelley Mission Statement
Bishop Kelley is a Catholic diocesan high school, inspired by St. John Baptist De La Salle, that carries on the teaching ministry of Jesus Christ by preparing students’ hearts and minds for a purposeful life.
More About Bishop Kelley
Bishop Kelley High School is Oklahoma’s largest private high school and is considered a life-preparatory institution. It offers a faith-based education that fosters academic excellence, spiritual growth and personal development. The school features a rigorous curriculum, including more than 40 honors and AP courses across a wide range of disciplines. With an average ACT score of 28 and an average SAT score of 1260, Bishop Kelley graduates are well-prepared for college, with 90% attending four-year institutions. The Blessed Stanley Rother Academic Support Program provides individualized assistance to students with diverse learning needs.
Beyond the classroom, students can choose from more than 30 clubs and organizations, while athletes, academic bowl, and the speech and debate team compete in 20 OSSAA-sanctioned sports. The campus includes state-of-the-art facilities for academics, athletics, dining and the arts. Recent improvements were made possible through the successful completion of the $25 Million We Are BK capital campaign-funded entirely through private donors, not tuition dollars.

One hundred and forty-five Bishop Kelley students were recently named AP Scholars through their demonstrated excellence in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Fifty-five of these students were named as AP Scholars with Distinction. The accolade is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of the exams. This is the highest recognition the College Board offers through the AP program. In addition, thirty-eight Bishop Kelley students were named AP Scholars with Honors. These awards are granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Another fifty-three students have been designated AP Scholars, granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Two hundred and seventy-seven Bishop Kelley students took a record six hundred and thirty-seven Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May, 2026 with an extraordinary 89% scoring “3” or higher. Fifteen percent of Bishop Kelley test takers scored the highest possible “5” on their exams, the equivalent of “Extremely Well Qualified” according to the College Board which administers the international testing. A “5” equates to an A+ or A in college level classes. Internationally, only 9% of all tests earn a “5” score. Another forty-two percent of Bishop Kelley students scored at the second highest tier, a “4,” equal to ”Very well Qualified,” a level only achieved by twenty percent of all testers. The record number of exams for Bishop Kelley students include twenty-three different subjects, covering a wide range of disciplines including science, math, English, social studies, fine arts, world languages and business. The largest number of tests for Bishop Kelley students included one hundred and thirty-eight AP English Language and Composition students, followed by ninety-eight students who took the AP United States Government test, and seventy-two who took the AP Pre-calculus exam. Bishop Kelley students scored the highest average on the AP Physics I exam with a school mean score of 4.47, followed by AP English Literature with a mean score of 4.13. Fifty-nine percent of Bishop Kelley alumni in the Class of 2026 graduated with a “3” or higher on at least one AP exam in their high school tenure. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1-5 with a “passing” score considered to be a “3” or higher. Bishop Kelley offers students AP exams in nineteen different subject areas. AP tests, developed by college and university professors, are considered among the most rigorous college-preparatory exams for high school students today. Bishop Kelley AP Scholars with Distinction Claire Anderson Jacob Arp Lola Bain Rylan Bauer Clara Berg Quinn Brasseux Dean Brown Rebecca Carlile Alexander Clark Landon Danz Mary Alice Doyle Lauren Embry Cole Finn Gianna Frey John Galbraith Macy Gerkin Madeline Gerkin Isabella Gilbert Evan Green Addison Greer Owen Hair Charles Hill Benjamin Hoel Madison Holleman Simone Hounshell Hayden Hutto William Johnson Robert Karlovich Asher Keltner Reese Launchbaugh Ella Lundt Jacqueline Manning Stacey Maupin Isabella McClure Joseph McKean Sophia McKnight Madeline Mellen Claire Nelson Danny Nguyen Eva Nguyen Hannah Nguyen Abigail Orr Lillian Orr Cade Parks Anna Pereira Laurel Pohlenz Ashley Richer Joseph Schurman Kate Strandmark William Tanner Hope Thompson Jonathan Tran Colette VanTrease Dat Vu Jackson Wrobleski Bishop Kelley AP Scholars with Honors Alex Aldrette Liam Allen Noah Baum Audrey Brewer Caroline Cohlmia Margaret Doyle Cadence Fielstra Bella Fusco Victoria Gogol Claire Goodman Kaylee Grisaffe Bode Harris Martin Hernandez Benjamin Hixon George Johnston Kinsley Knapp Riley Knox Hudson Kruggel Mark Kuehler Jordan Morales Dexton Nance Katelyn Rains Olivia Rambo Matthew Ranallo William Ritzhaupt Brooke Rossow Kira Smith Catherine Sousa Harper Spanier Madalene Stoulil Isabel Swiney Elizabeth Tran Laila Uhren Thanh Vu Dane Weldon Aidan Wilson Ella Wrobleski Bishop Kelley AP Scholars Margaret Abraham Violet Abraham Daniel Allred Madelyn Anderson Alexander Barry Noah Bietto James Blankenship Virginia-Grey Buck Ian Burris Maurizio Carbonell Lucy Cermak Emily Cook Kennedy Cooper Jonathan Corfidi Jackson Cortright Caroline Dowdell Jason Dowdell Madeline Dunham Trevor Gable Liam Hall Madeline Heatherman Thompson Herndon Jacob Hoang Eli Horeled Ashley Huynh Clay Jordan Maggie Leach Sarah Leake Blair Leonard Sean Maloney Nicole McKean Grant Morrison Ava Myers Delilah Nguyen Monserrat Novelo-Roig Isabella Paschal Julian Penny Josh Phillips Dutch Prather Sebastian Quiroz Ryland Ramos Eliza Riffe William Sandusky Avery Sparks Elise Sullivan Henry Talley Hayden Throop Aaron Valadkhani Marcus Warden Ildri Weber Colton Williams Laila Wong Landon Woolley




