About Our Lady of Good Hope · Hope, Arkansas
Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish of the Diocese of Little Rock serving Hope, the county seat of Hempstead County, Arkansas. Located at 315 S. Walker St., the parish offers daily and Sunday Mass in both languages, regular Eucharistic Adoration, weekly Confession, First Friday and First Saturday devotions, and ministries including faith formation, youth ministry, OCIA, and Fuerza Transformadora. It is currently pastored by Fr. Nirmal Raj Kambala Mariadass, CPPS (with a 2026 clergy change relocating Rev. Martin Siebold as the new pastor), and sits in the Ouachita Deanery of the Diocese of Little Rock.
- Patron
- Our Lady of Good Hope (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title 'Our Lady of Good Hope')
- Rector
- Fr. Martin Siebold
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock
Why belong here
Our Lady of Good Hope is the only Catholic parish in Hope, Arkansas, offering the sacraments and worship in both English and Spanish to a community spread across Hempstead County. Daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, a Thursday evening Spanish Mass, and Sunday Masses at 9 a.m. (English) and noon (Spanish) make Catholic life accessible throughout the week. The parish supports families with Christian Formation for children, OCIA for adults, youth ministry, the Fuerza Transformadora recovery movement for Spanish-speaking parishioners, and regular Eucharistic Adoration with First Friday and First Saturday devotions—all in a small-town setting rooted in the historic Marian devotion of Our Lady of Good Hope.
Mass times at Our Lady of Good Hope
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Noon)
Adoration times
- Sunday 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Noon)
- Tuesday 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
- Wednesday 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
- Thursday 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
- Friday 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
- First Friday 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. (all-day Adoration)
Parish Identity and Background
Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church is the only Catholic parish in Hope, the seat of Hempstead County in southwestern Arkansas. As part of the Diocese of Little Rock's Ouachita Deanery, it is a bilingual (English/Spanish) congregation whose very name connects the small Arkansas town to an ancient Marian devotion: the title 'Our Lady of Good Hope' traces back to Mezieves, France, in 930 AD, and was reinforced by the 1871 Pontmain apparition in France, where the Virgin Mary appeared as the 'Madonna of the Crucifix' with a message of 'hope through prayer and the cross.' According to Arkansas Catholic, similar Marian titles were deliberately chosen for roughly one in four churches in the Diocese of Little Rock, and 'Our Lady of Good Hope' was chosen in Hope to echo that historic French devotion. The parish is pastored by a member of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.) and serves worshippers throughout Hope, Prescott, Nashville, and surrounding Hempstead County communities.
- Diocese: Little Rock (Ouachita Deanery)
- County: Hempstead
- Patronal title: Our Lady of Good Hope (linked to 930 Mezieves / 1871 Pontmain)
- Languages: English and Spanish
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Fr. Nirmal Raj Kambala Mariadass, CPPS, a member of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. According to Bishop Anthony B. Taylor's 2026 clergy assignments, Fr. Kambala has been relieved of his duties at Our Lady of Good Hope to continue his ministry with the Precious Blood missionaries in India, and Rev. Martin Siebold has been appointed as the incoming pastor (serving also as pastor of St. Martin Church in Nashville). The parish staff listed on the diocese page includes a Bookkeeper (Dianne Bauer), Co-Directors of Christian Formation/Religious Education (C/DREs Maria Ramirez and Karen Barham), OCIA Coordinator Vic Massanelli, and Youth Ministers Jessica Bauer and Jonathan Bauer.
- Pastor-elect (2026): Rev. Martin Siebold
- Bookkeeper: Dianne Bauer
- C/DREs: Maria Ramirez, Karen Barham
- OCIA Coordinator: Vic Massanelli
- Youth Ministers: Jessica Bauer, Jonathan Bauer
Faith Formation and Christian Formation
Faith formation at Our Lady of Good Hope is directed by Co-Directors of Christian Formation Maria Ramirez and Karen Barham. Children typically prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist during second grade, with both sacraments requiring parent-and-child sessions, a student-only retreat, and ongoing weekly Christian Formation classes. Confirmation is celebrated in the junior year of high school (or later), with the program done in collaboration with nearby parishes (including Our Lady of Good Hope and St. Bernadette, per the parish's sacramental life page). The parish also welcomes children older than six seeking baptism through a longer initiation process, culminating at the Easter Vigil.
- First Reconciliation (typically 2nd grade)
- First Eucharist (typically 2nd grade)
- Confirmation (junior year of high school or later)
- Initiation for unbaptized children age 7+
- Christian Formation classes for ongoing formation
OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Adults seeking baptism, reception into full communion, or completion of their sacraments go through OCIA (formerly RCIA), coordinated by Vic Massanelli. The process starts with inquiry sessions for questions and discernment, followed by deeper study of Catholic teaching and the Christian life, and culminates at the Easter Vigil with Baptism (if needed), Confirmation, and First Eucharist. The parish also invites adults already baptized Catholics who have never been confirmed to complete their initiation through this sacramental path.
- Coordinator: Vic Massanelli
- Inquiry sessions for discernment
- Easter Vigil: Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist
- Adult Confirmation for already-baptized Catholics
Marriage Preparation
Marriage in the Catholic Church is treated as a sacramental covenant. Engaged couples must contact the parish office at least six months before the wedding, after which they meet with the officiating pastor and the parish music minister to plan liturgy and music, and are required to attend a day for the engaged offered by the Diocese of Little Rock. Couples planning to marry at Our Lady of Good Hope are expected to be members of the parish.
- Contact parish office ≥ 6 months before the wedding
- Meet with officiating pastor and music minister
- Attend the diocesan day for the engaged
- Couples marrying here should be registered parishioners
Baptism
Infant baptism is the norm in the Catholic Church and is preceded by two baptism preparation sessions for parents (unless completed within the past three years). These sessions help parents understand both the sacrament and the lifelong faith commitment they undertake. Children older than six and unbaptized adults enter the Christian Initiation process described in the OCIA section above.
- Infant baptism preparation for parents (2 sessions)
- Adult baptism through OCIA
- Older children (age 7+) enter Christian Initiation
Fuerza Transformadora (Transforming Force)
Our Lady of Good Hope hosts one of the seven established Fuerza Transformadora programs in the Diocese of Little Rock. Founded in 2006 by Sergio Torres, a former gang leader, Fuerza Transformadora is a Spanish-language Catholic movement that reaches people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, gang involvement, and violence, helping them encounter God and rebuild their lives. A ministry of the Hispanic Ministry Office of the Diocese of Little Rock, the program trains participants as leaders and is open to teens and adults.
- Meetings: Fridays, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
- Contact: Criselda Cortez, (870) 826-4663
- Hispanic Ministry Office of the Diocese of Little Rock
- Open to teens and adults
Youth Ministry
The parish's Youth Ministry is led by Jessica Bauer and Jonathan Bauer. It works in concert with the Christian Formation program and Confirmation preparation to engage the parish's middle- and high-school-aged young people in faith, fellowship, and service. (Specific youth events are listed on the parish calendar via the DOLR events feed.)
- Youth Ministers: Jessica Bauer, Jonathan Bauer
- Partners with Confirmation preparation
First Friday and First Saturday Devotions
The parish keeps the traditional First Friday and First Saturday devotional observances of the Diocese of Little Rock. First Friday features all-day Eucharistic Adoration from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. First Saturday opens with a 9:00 a.m. Bilingual Mass, continuing the Marian devotion that gave the parish its name.
- First Friday: Adoration 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- First Saturday: 9:00 a.m. Bilingual Mass
Parish Life and Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the church office Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The parish shares contact information through the Diocese of Little Rock website and the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce community directory, which lists Our Lady of Good Hope as the sole Catholic congregation in Hope. Parish fundraisers (such as the OLGH Spaghetti Supper, organized via Vic Massanelli) are regular events that bring the community together.
- Office Hours: Mon.–Fri. 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Phone: (870) 777-3202
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: P.O. Box 517, Hope, AR 71802
- Spaghetti Supper fundraiser (organized by Vic Massanelli)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Nirmalraj M. Kambala, CPPS
Pastor of Our Lady of Good Hope, Hope; relieved of his responsibilities in the 2026 clergy changes to return to ministry with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in India.
- Rev. Martin Siebold2026 (assigned)
Appointed pastor of Our Lady of Good Hope in Hope and St. Martin Church in Nashville (Bishop Taylor's 2026 clergy assignments).