St. Mary (Diocese of Little Rock, Arkadelphia)
| St. Mary | |
 | |
| Dedication: | St. Mary |
| Type/Classification: | Territorial Parish |
| Non-Parochial: | No |
| Operated By: | Diocesan clergy |
| Venerated Saints: | None specified |
| Diocese: | Diocese of Little Rock |
| Deanery: | Central Deanery |
| Address: | 249 N 14th St., Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71923 |
| City: | Arkadelphia, AR |
| Subdivision: | Arkansas |
| Country: | United States |
| County: | Clark County |
| Website: | Website |
| Founded: | |
| School: | No |
| Email: | None specified |
| AI Confidence: | 6/10 |
| Review Level: | 0/5 |
St. Mary Catholic Church is a territorial parish of the Diocese of Little Rock, serving Catholics in Arkadelphia, the seat of Clark County, Arkansas. The parish is dedicated to Saint Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother of Jesus, and belongs to the diocese's Central Deanery.
St. Mary Parish shares pastoral leadership with St. John the Baptist Church in nearby Malvern, a common arrangement among smaller parishes in the Diocese of Little Rock, allowing a single resident pastor to serve both worshiping communities.[1]
The parish celebrates Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, reflecting the diverse makeup of the local Catholic community in Clark County.
History
Limited documentation is publicly available regarding the founding of St. Mary Parish in Arkadelphia, and no confirmed founding date is documented in available sources. According to a 2022 account in the diocesan newspaper, the parish church building was approximately 47 years old at that time, suggesting a construction date around the mid-1970s.[2]
In the years leading up to 2022, parishioners of St. Mary undertook a volunteer-led renovation of the church's sanctuary, repainting the walls, raising the sanctuary floor by roughly eight inches, and resurfacing it with white tile. Because parishioners performed the labor themselves, the renovation cost only a few thousand dollars, while a separate fundraising effort—led in part by longtime parishioners—raised additional funds for a new altar and ambo crafted by a local Arkadelphia company.[3]
On March 8, 2022, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock celebrated Mass at St. Mary and formally blessed and dedicated the new altar and ambo, anointing the altar with sacred chrism oil and purifying both furnishings with incense.[3]
Special features
- Sunday Mass offered in both English and Spanish
- Shared pastorate with St. John the Baptist Church in Malvern, Arkansas
- Sanctuary renovation completed largely through parishioner volunteer labor
Relics
During the March 8, 2022, dedication Mass, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor installed a relic of Saint Teresa of Jesus of Ávila into the church's newly constructed altar, following the traditional practice of enclosing relics within a consecrated altar.[3]
Architecture and Art
Exterior features
The parish church, believed to date from approximately the mid-1970s based on published parish accounts, presents a modest exterior typical of mid-twentieth-century Catholic church construction in small Arkansas communities. Further architectural documentation is not publicly available.
Interior features
Following a parishioner-led renovation completed by 2022, the sanctuary features a raised platform, approximately eight inches higher than the surrounding floor, finished in white tile. The renovated sanctuary houses a granite altar and matching ambo, both custom-made by a local Arkadelphia company and blessed by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor.[3]
Stained Glass Windows
Specific details regarding stained glass windows at St. Mary are not publicly documented in available sources.
Statues and Sculptures
No specific statuary or sculptural artwork is documented in publicly available sources.
Other Artwork
No further devotional artwork is publicly documented in available sources.
Image gallery
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Media
No media found for this saint.
Related parishes
- St. Mary (Diocese of Little Rock, Altus)
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Diocese of Little Rock)
- Assumption (Diocese of Little Rock)
- St. Richard (Diocese of Little Rock)
- Sacred Heart of Mary (Diocese of Little Rock)
- St. Mary (Diocese of Little Rock, Batesville)
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Diocese of Little Rock)
- Our Lady of Fatima (Diocese of Little Rock)
- St. Stephen (Diocese of Little Rock)
- St. Anne (Diocese of Little Rock, Berryville)
- St. Boniface (Diocese of Little Rock, Bigelow)
- Immaculate Conception (Diocese of Little Rock, Blytheville)
- Our Lady of the Assumption (Diocese of Little Rock)
- St. John the Baptist (Diocese of Little Rock, Brinkley)
- St. Louis (Diocese of Little Rock)
- St. Rose of Lima (Diocese of Little Rock)
- St. Joseph (Diocese of Little Rock, Center Ridge)
- Sacred Heart (Diocese of Little Rock, Charleston)
- St. Michael (Diocese of Little Rock, Cherokee Village)
- Holy Redeemer (Diocese of Little Rock, Clarksville)
- St. Jude Thaddeus (Diocese of Little Rock, Clinton)
- St. Joseph (Diocese of Little Rock, Conway)
- St. Joseph the Worker (Diocese of Little Rock)
- Sacred Heart of Jesus (Diocese of Little Rock, Crawfordsville)
- Holy Cross (Diocese of Little Rock, Crossett)
External links
Social media
| Official Social Media |
|---|
References
- ↑ "St. Mary Church - Arkadelphia". Diocese of Little Rock. https://www.dolr.org/parishes/st-mary-church-arkadelphia.
- ↑ "Arkadelphia parishioners lead their church's renovation". Arkansas Catholic. https://arkansas-catholic.org/2022/03/21/arkadelphia-parishioners-lead-their-churchs-renovation/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Arkadelphia parishioners lead their church's renovation". Arkansas Catholic. https://arkansas-catholic.org/2022/03/21/arkadelphia-parishioners-lead-their-churchs-renovation/.