About Sacred Heart of Mary · Barling, Arkansas
Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church is a small but vibrant parish in Barling, Arkansas, belonging to the Diocese of Little Rock and serving the western Arkansas River Valley. The parish has deep roots in the area stretching back to German Catholic settlers of the 1850s and was formally established as a mission in 1902 under the Benedictines of Subiaco Abbey. Today it is a bilingual community celebrated in both English and Vietnamese, drawing roughly 400 families in partnership with its mission church, Sts. Sabina and Mary in Jenny Lind.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of her Sacred Heart (with Our Lady of La Vang and the Vietnamese Martyrs as patron saints of the parish's Vietnamese community, celebrated on Nov. 22 and Nov. 24)
- Rector
- Fr. Matthew (Matt) Garrison
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock
Why belong here
Sacred Heart of Mary is one of the most intentionally bilingual Catholic parishes in western Arkansas, celebrating Mass side-by-side in English and Vietnamese every weekend and on most weekdays. It's small enough that newcomers are recognized by name but active enough to offer OCIA, parish religious education for Pre-K through Confirmation, a Knights of Columbus council, a seniors' group, line dancing, Bible studies, and a food ministry to Hope Campus — with members of the Jenny Lind mission fully included in parish life.
Mass times at Sacred Heart of Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00–5:20 PM (English, Barling)
- Saturday 5:30–5:55 PM (English, Barling)
- Sunday 9:30–9:55 AM (English, Barling — per diocesan listing)
- Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 6:30–6:50 PM, before 7 PM weekday Vietnamese Mass (Vietnamese)
- Wednesday 5:00–5:25 PM (Sts. Sabina & Mary, Jenny Lind)
- Saturday 3:00–3:55 PM (Sts. Sabina & Mary, Jenny Lind)
- By appointment — call (479) 452-1795 or email Fr. Matt ([email protected]) / Fr. Tuyen ([email protected])
Adoration times
- Fridays 6:30–7:00 PM (before the 7 PM Vietnamese Mass)
Our Story
Sacred Heart of Mary traces its origins to 1850s German Catholic immigrants who settled in the colony of Springhill (today's Barling). The first church was a barn built about 1900; the parish itself was formally established as a mission in 1902 under the Benedictines of Subiaco Abbey, with the Weindel family donating two acres for church and cemetery. A stone schoolhouse built by parishioners in 1946 served generations of children until the school closed in 1987, and the present church was completed in February 1979.
- C. 1850s — German Catholic settlers found Springhill (later Barling)
- c. 1900 — first church (a barn) erected
- 1902 — parish formally established as a mission of Subiaco Abbey
- 1904 — church building moved to its present Frank Street site
- 1946 — parishioners build the stone schoolhouse
- 1978 — school reduced to preK–1; 1987 — school closes
- 1979 — current church building completed
Vietnamese Ministry
The Vietnamese Catholic community at Sacred Heart of Mary is one of the largest in the diocese. After sponsoring Vietnamese refugee families in 1975 and later relocating to Christ the King in Fort Smith, the community officially returned to Barling on Aug. 15, 2009, when Fr. Peter Quang Le celebrated the first Vietnamese Mass here. Members run a Eucharistic Youth Association, a Dominican prayer group, and a charismatic renewal group, attend Marian Days in Carthage, Mo., and gather each Thanksgiving to honor the Vietnamese Martyrs (Nov. 24) with a procession carrying first-class relics. Devotion to Our Lady of La Vang (Nov. 22) is a daily part of parish life.
- Sunday Masses at 8 AM and Noon; daily 7 PM Tue/Thu/Fri
- Our Lady of La Vang devotion (feast Nov. 22)
- Vietnamese Martyrs procession on Thanksgiving (Nov. 24)
- Eucharistic Youth Association
- Dominican & charismatic prayer groups
Faith Formation & OCIA
Tammy Predmore directs parish religious education from Pre-K through Confirmation Year II, with classes meeting Sundays at 11 AM in the Parish Hall and on the first Wednesday evening of the month for Confirmation II. First Communion and Confirmation each require two years of preparation. Adult Faith Formation runs alongside OCIA on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 PM (with dinner), deliberately integrating English- and Vietnamese-speaking inquirers — a model highlighted by the Arkansas Catholic in 2025. Terry Baker serves as OCIA director.
- PRE classes (Pre-K – 8th grade): Sundays 11 AM
- Confirmation Year II: first Wednesday, 6 PM, Parish Hall
- Adult Faith Formation / OCIA: Wednesdays 6:15 PM with dinner
- Contacts: Tammy Predmore & Terry Baker
- Two-year programs for First Communion and Confirmation
Youth & Young Adults
Sacred Heart of Mary runs an active youth ministry meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings at 6:15 PM in the 'white house,' with dinner, prayer, and fellowship. Young adults are welcomed into the broader adult formation and Vietnamese community life. The Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Association meets separately as part of the parish's Vietnamese ministry.
- Youth Group — 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:15 PM
- Young Adults — gather as part of broader parish life
- Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Association
Sacred Heart of Mary Cemetery
Locally known as St. Mary's Cemetery, the parish cemetery sits on Roberts Blvd. east of I-549 on land that once belonged to the U.S. Government at Fort Chaffee. It was established around 1902 under the Benedictines on two acres donated by the Weindel family; the church building was moved in 1904 but the cemetery stayed where it was. The parish retains the right to sell lots and approve burial. A section with two plots costs $1,000; contact Rodney Riser at the parish office (ext. 105).
- Established c. 1902 by the Benedictines
- Two acres originally donated by the Weindel family
- Location: Roberts Blvd., east of I-549
- Contact: Rodney Riser, ext. 105
- Section with two plots: $1,000
Connect & Visit
Parish office hours are Tuesday 10 AM–5 PM and Wednesday–Thursday 9 AM–3 PM; the mailing address and parish office are at 1301 Frank St., Barling, AR 72923. Driving directions from Zero Street (becoming Church Street) or Highway 255 both bring you to the church just past the train tracks. The parish also tends the Sts. Sabina & Mary mission in Jenny Lind, about nine miles from Barling, where Saturday 4 PM and Wednesday 5:30 PM Masses are celebrated by the Barling clergy.
- Office Hours: Tue 10 AM–5 PM; Wed–Thu 9 AM–3 PM
- Address: 1301 Frank St., Barling, AR 72923
- Phone: (479) 452-1795
- From Zero St. (east) or Hwy 255 (west), parish is by the train tracks
- Also attends Sts. Sabina & Mary, 14304 Old Jenny Lind Loop
Active Ministries & Outreach
Beyond Mass and faith formation, Sacred Heart of Mary runs a wide range of parish groups — a Knights of Columbus council, a seniors' group, line dancing classes and Bible studies — and serves the wider community through a food ministry to Hope Campus and Heart2Heart Pregnancy Support Center. The bilingual character is visible in everything from the meal rotations at Wednesday OCIA to the joint English-Vietnamese procession on Thanksgiving.
- Knights of Columbus council
- Seniors' group and line dancing
- Bible Studies
- Food ministry to Hope Campus
- Heart2Heart Pregnancy Support Center
- Adult Faith Formation meal rotation
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Henry Mischkowiuski
Polish-born pastor who welcomed the Vietnamese ministry back to Sacred Heart of Mary in 2009; began learning Vietnamese to be able to say Mass when Fr. Le was out of town.
- Fr. Peter Quang Le
First Vietnamese associate pastor at Barling after the 2009 move; previously served the Vietnamese community at Christ the King, Fort Smith, from 1999.
- Fr. Matthew Garrison
Current pastor of both Sacred Heart of Mary (Barling) and Sts. Sabina and Mary (Jenny Lind); ordained May 29, 2004; birthday Sept. 29; also serves as a chaplain for the Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Wing.