About Holy Redeemer · El Dorado, Arkansas
Holy Redeemer is a historic Catholic parish in El Dorado, Arkansas, in the heart of south Arkansas's oil country. The parish is part of the Diocese of Little Rock (Ouachita Deanery, Union County) and serves as the only Catholic parish in the area, also providing pastoral care for St. Luke Church in Warren. Today's Holy Redeemer is a notably multicultural community — Filipino, Syrian, African, Central American, Portuguese, Brazilian, German and Hispanic families worship together — a diversity the parish traces directly back to the 1921 oil boom that transformed El Dorado. The church building itself marked its 100th anniversary in November 2023, when Bishop Anthony B. Taylor presided over a centennial Mass with parishioners and former members.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- Holy Redeemer (Most Holy Redeemer)
- Rector
- Fr. Edward "Eddie" D'Almeida
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (Ouachita Deanery)
Why belong here
Holy Redeemer is the only Catholic parish for many miles in south Arkansas — roughly two hours from Little Rock and two hours from Monroe — and that isolation, in the words of Father Eddie D'Almeida, is exactly what pulls the community together. A Sunday here looks like the world: an English Mass at 9 a.m., a Spanish Mass at 11 a.m., a Saturday vigil in the Latin (Novus Ordo) form, weekly adoration, a robust religious-education program, the parish's signature Universal Food Festival and a long history (school run by the Sisters of Mercy, a columbarium, a thriving OCIA program) that make it a genuine spiritual home for Union County Catholics.
Mass times at Holy Redeemer
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Thursday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Friday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Adoration times
- Monday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Welcome & Parish Identity
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church serves El Dorado and the surrounding Union County area as part of the Diocese of Little Rock. Tucked into south Arkansas, the parish describes itself as a 'cultural melting pot' — a community whose members trace their origins to the Philippines, Syria, Africa, Central America, Portugal, Brazil, Germany and the Hispanic world, all bound together by the 1921 oil boom that put El Dorado on the map. The parish also extends pastoral care to St. Luke Church in Warren.
- Diocese of Little Rock — Ouachita Deanery
- Located at 440 W. Main St., El Dorado, AR 71730
- Also attends St. Luke Church, Warren
Parish Staff & Clergy
Holy Redeemer is led by its pastor with the help of a deacon and a small lay-staff team running the parish office, finances and religious education. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Pastor: Fr. Edward "Eddie" D'Almeida ([email protected])
- Deacon: Dc. José Luébanos ([email protected])
- Business Manager: Ann Clary ([email protected])
- Secretary: Judi Ostergaard ([email protected])
- Coordinator of Religious Education (C/DRE): Candelaria Luébanos ([email protected])
- OCIA Coordinator: Vacant
- Organist/Choirmaster: Vacant
Our History — A Parish Older Than Its Building
Catholic life in Union County began in 1858 with settler Edmond Mahoney. For decades, visiting priests celebrated Mass wherever they could — around the courthouse, then in private homes (notably those of Patrick Egan and C.A. McCarthy), and from 1909 in a chapel set up inside the local Armory. The parish's modern life began with the 1921 oil boom, which filled El Dorado with newcomers and outgrew the Armory chapel. A new chapel was built on property owned by W.P. Goodwin, and on June 24, 1923, the cornerstone of the present West Main Street church was laid. Bishop John B. Morris dedicated Holy Redeemer on Sunday, November 26, 1923. A rectory followed, then a convent for the Sisters of Mercy, who opened Holy Redeemer School in 1925.
- 1858 — First Catholic settler in Union County, Edmond Mahoney
- 1895 — A priest from Canada begins visiting regularly
- 1908 — Mass celebrated regularly in homes of Patrick Egan and C.A. McCarthy
- 1909 — Permanent chapel built inside the El Dorado Armory
- 1921 — Oil boom transforms El Dorado's population
- June 1923 — Cornerstone of the present church laid on West Main Street
- November 26, 1923 — Church dedicated by Bishop John B. Morris
- 1925 — Holy Redeemer School opened by the Sisters of Mercy
- 2001, 2002, 2016 — Major renovation phases
- 2004 — Holy Redeemer School closes
- 2014 — Parish commits to raising $1M+ for new education building and columbarium
- November 26, 2023 — 100th anniversary Mass with Bishop Anthony B. Taylor
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Holy Redeemer's Coordinator of Religious Education (C/DRE) oversees catechism classes for children and youth. As of the mid-2010s the parish was already running staggered Wednesday-evening classes for about 160 students and committing to a new education building. Adult faith formation — including an apologetics class — is also offered, and Holy Redeemer was named as one of five diocesan sites for the 2024–25 OCIA (formerly RCIA) Parish Catechist Formation Day, offered in English and Spanish.
- Children's religious education (CCD) — coordinated by Candelaria Luébanos
- Wednesday-evening catechism classes in two shifts (younger and older students)
- Adult faith formation and apologetics classes
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Coordinator position vacant; classes for unbaptized and uncatechized adults)
A Multicultural Parish Community
The Universal Food Festival is Holy Redeemer's signature annual event — a parish-wide celebration in which the many nationalities of the parish showcase their food and culture. Parishioners of Filipino, Syrian, African, Central American, Portuguese, Brazilian, German and Hispanic heritage all share in the parish's life together, a reality Father D'Almeida has said reflects the lasting legacy of El Dorado's 1921 oil boom.
- Annual Universal Food Festival
- Filipino, Syrian, African, Central American, Portuguese, Brazilian, German and Hispanic parishioner communities
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) weekend Masses
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
The parish office coordinates preparation for the sacraments — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and the OCIA process for adults seeking full reception into the Catholic Church. Families and individuals are encouraged to call the parish office at (870) 863-3620 during office hours to begin sacramental preparation.
- Baptism — preparation through the parish office
- First Communion / Confirmation — through Religious Education program
- Marriage — contact the parish office to begin preparation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — for adults entering the Church
Facilities, Columbarium & Future Building
The parish's physical plant on West Main Street has been updated in several renovation phases (notably 2001, 2002 and 2016, with interior repainting and new trim details added for the 2023 centennial). By 2014, parishioners had committed to raising more than $1 million over three years for a new religious-education building and an on-site columbarium, reflecting both the growth of faith-formation enrollment and the desire to keep loved ones' remains close to the parish church.
- West Main Street church dedicated November 26, 1923
- Rectory behind the church; former convent (Sisters of Mercy)
- Major renovations in 2001, 2002 and 2016
- Interior repainted and new trim details added for the 100th anniversary
- Planned new education building (committed 2014)
- Planned on-site columbarium (committed 2014)
Visit, Contact & Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at Holy Redeemer. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 440 W. Main St., El Dorado. Liturgical and parish news is shared through the parish bulletin, online calendar, and the parish's social-media channels on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
- Address: 440 W. Main St., El Dorado, AR 71730
- Phone: (870) 863-3620
- Fax: (870) 863-7537
- Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Online: holyredeemereldorado.org
- Social: Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (linked from the parish site)