About Holy Family · Jacksonville, Arkansas
Holy Family Parish is the Catholic community serving the military and civilian families stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, Arkansas. It operates under the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA — the special jurisdiction erected by Pope John Paul II in 1985 to provide Catholic ministry to U.S. service members — while sitting geographically within the Diocese of Little Rock's Central Deanery. The parish is staffed by a U.S. Air Force Catholic chaplain (a priest endorsed for military service) and welcomes airmen, their dependents, retirees, and base workers to a tight-knit program of daily Mass, religious education, and outreach.
- Patron
- The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Elbert Fadallan, Ch.USAF
- Diocese
- Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (Military Ordinariate); geographically within the Diocese of Little Rock (Central Deanery, Pulaski County)
Why belong here
Holy Family Parish offers the full rhythm of Catholic parish life — a Sunday Mass, four weekday Masses, Confession before each liturgy, a weekly choir, and a year-round religious-education program for children (CARE, Pre-K4 through Confirmation) plus RCIA for adults — inside the gates of Little Rock Air Force Base. For military families moving in and out of the 19th Airlift Wing, the parish is a spiritual anchor staffed by a chaplain-pastor who understands the rhythm of deployments, TDYs, and homecomings, with active fellowship through Catholic Women of the Chapel and a Pastoral Advisory Council that any parishioner can join.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Mass (and by appointment, per LRAFB Chapel)
Clergy, Staff, and Pastoral Contacts
Holy Family Parish is led by a Catholic priest-chaplain endorsed for U.S. Air Force service and supported by a small Catholic-ministry team of military and civilian staff. Inquiries, baptisms, weddings, and sacramental records are routed through the parish coordinator's office at the LRAFB Chapel, with the priest's office reachable on a separate line.
- Pastor — Fr. Elbert Fadallan, Ch.USAF (ordained September 9, 1980; birthday February 2)
- Parish Coordinator — Melanie Coleman ([email protected])
- Religious Education Coordinator — Anna Vorisek (program phone: 501-987-6014)
- Church Office — (501) 987-6014
- Priest's Office — (501) 987-8682
- After-hours emergency pastoral care — LRAFB Command Post, (501) 987-1900, requesting the Duty Chaplain
Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation at Holy Family is structured for the rhythms of military life — a year-round program running August through May, with Sunday morning classes that fit a service family's weekend. Children are welcomed from Pre-K 4 all the way up through Confirmation, while adults have a parallel process through RCIA, including catechumens, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and adult Catholics seeking Confirmation.
- Catholic Religious Education (CARE) — Pre-K 4 through Confirmation; Sundays, August–May
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) — for those interested in becoming Catholic, adult Catholics seeking Confirmation, or anyone wanting to learn more about the faith
- Adult Bible Studies — available through the LRAFB Chapel Catholic Ministries office
Music Ministry and Liturgical Life
Music is central to the parish's worship life, with two overlapping rehearsal times listed across the parish's published sources — one of the small practical headaches any visitor should confirm on arrival. The choir is open to anyone, regardless of musical training or prior experience, and the parish encourages parishioners to share their talents and enhance chapel programs.
- Choir practice — 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays (per the Diocese of Little Rock parish directory listing)
- Music Ministry rehearsal — Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel Sanctuary (per the LRAFB Catholic Ministries page)
Parish Life and Lay Leadership
Lay involvement is built into the parish structure. A Pastoral Advisory Council coordinates programs and meets openly so any parishioner can attend, and Catholic Women of the Chapel provides Christian fellowship, spiritual formation, and outreach for women of the congregation. These groups give newcomers a way to meet people quickly — important for transient military families.
- Pastoral Advisory Council — First Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Chapel Annex (open meetings)
- Catholic Women of the Chapel (CWOC) — First and Third Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m., Chapel Annex
Weddings and Sacramental Records
Couples marrying in the chapel must follow the LRAFB Chapel Wedding Booklet without deviation, and submit a Wedding Request Form to the Base Chapel office. Because Holy Family is a military chapel, sacramental records (baptism, first Communion, Confirmation, marriage) are maintained centrally by the Archdiocese for the Military Services' Office of Sacramental Records rather than at the parish — couples and families should request official copies through the archdiocese when needed.
- Wedding Brochure and Wedding Request Form available from the LRAFB Base Chapel
- Contact: (501) 987-6014 to verify calendar availability
- Records inquiries: Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA — Office of Sacramental Records
Location, Hours, and Getting to the Chapel
The chapel sits inside Little Rock Air Force Base next to the Walters Community Center, and the parish office is open five days a week. Because access is through a military installation, visitors who are not active-duty, dependents, or retirees must coordinate a base visitor pass in advance through the LRAFB Visitor Center. After duty hours, a duty chaplain remains reachable for emergency pastoral care via the 19th Airlift Wing Command Post.
- Street address — 950 Arnold Dr. Ste. 1, Jacksonville, AR 72099
- Mailing address — 19 AW/HC, 950 Arnold Dr. Ste. 1, LRAFB, AR 72099
- Office hours — Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- After-hours emergency line — LRAFB Command Post, (501) 987-1900, request the Duty Chaplain
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Frank Lowe2010 (transferred in six months prior to article date)
Chaplain, USAF; priest of the Diocese of San Bernardino (ordained Dec. 12, 1985); previously stationed at bases in North Dakota, Mississippi, and Alabama, with deployments to Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq and tours at RAF Lakenheath (UK) and Okinawa, Japan. Served as both pastor of Holy Family Parish and 19th Airlift Wing chaplain.
- Fr. Elbert Fadallan, Ch.USAFCurrent (per Diocese of Little Rock parish directory)
Ordained Sept. 9, 1980.