About St. Andrew · Danville, Arkansas
St. Andrew Church is a small, predominantly Hispanic Catholic mission parish in Danville, Yell County, Arkansas, in the River Valley Deanery of the Diocese of Little Rock. The 320-seat church was built and dedicated in 2006 to serve the growing Catholic community in the Danville area, and in 2013 the parish purchased a former two-story office building across Highway 10 to use as St. Francis Parish Center for faith formation and retreats. Mass is currently celebrated in Spanish on Sundays and Thursdays, with confession, Eucharistic adoration, and a robust religious education program serving about 80 children. The parish is pastored by Fr. Omar Galván, assisted by Deacon José Morales and a small staff of lay collaborators.
- Established
- 2006
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Omar Galván
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (River Valley Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Andrew is a tight-knit, bilingual Catholic mission parish in rural Yell County where Spanish-language Mass, confession, adoration, and faith formation are the heartbeat of community life. The parish serves about 80 children in its religious education program across two age groupings, gathers for weekly Eucharistic adoration on Thursday evenings and a monthly 18-hour Eucharistic watch on second Fridays, and stays close through parish-wide fundraisers like the annual August festival and food sales after Mass. For Catholics in the Danville area — and especially for Spanish-speaking families — St. Andrew offers the full sacramental life of the Church in a small, neighborly setting.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 p.m.
- Sunday after Mass
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 p.m.
- Second Friday of the month: Friday 3:00 p.m. through Saturday 9:00 a.m. (18-hour Eucharistic Adoration)
About St. Andrew Church
St. Andrew Church is a small Catholic mission parish in Danville, Arkansas, in the River Valley Deanery of the Diocese of Little Rock. Its 320-seat church was built and dedicated in 2006 to serve the growing Catholic community in Yell County, and the parish has been attended from St. Augustine Church in Dardanelle. Today Mass, confession, adoration, and faith formation are celebrated primarily in Spanish, reflecting the predominantly Hispanic character of the parish.
History of the Parish
The Catholic presence in Yell County that became St. Andrew was originally established and staffed by the Glenmary Home Missioners, whose members — including Brother David Henley — helped build up the local Catholic community. The first church was dedicated in 2006, and in 2013 the parish purchased the former Petit Jean Poultry executive offices across Highway 10 for $150,000, naming the building St. Francis Parish Center after a former pastor. In 2021–2022 the parish was chosen as the partner for the Diocese of Little Rock's One Church initiative, receiving around $133,000 in donations to begin renovating the parish center.
- Pre-2006: Glenmary Home Missioners staff the Yell County Catholic mission
- 2006: St. Andrew Church built and dedicated (320 seats)
- 2013: Parish purchases former Petit Jean Poultry offices as St. Francis Parish Center ($150,000)
- 2014: Fr. James Melnick, then pastor, helps launch the Yell County Catholic app — reportedly the first parish-specific app in the Diocese of Little Rock
- 2020: Water damage at the parish center; insurance claim sets aside about $36,000 for repairs
- 2021–2022: St. Andrew chosen as One Church: Unite Arkansas in Faith and Mission partner parish; raises approximately $133,000 for renovation
St. Francis Parish Center
Across Highway 10 from the church sits St. Francis Parish Center, a two-story, 7,850-square-foot former office building on 6.5 acres that the parish bought in 2013 to use for religious education, retreats, and parish events. After years of use and a 2020 water-damage event, much of the center — including its two outdated kitchens and small single-occupancy bathrooms with showers and bathtubs — is in need of major renovation. The parish hopes to remove one kitchen, expand the other, enlarge offices into classrooms, build a dedicated parking lot, and turn what was once a sauna and in-ground hot tub room into usable meeting or storage space.
- 7,850-square-foot two-story building on 6.5 acres
- Includes storage-garage building on the property
- Religious education classes for about 80 children are split between the center and other parish spaces
- Has hosted young adult and charismatic retreats in past years
- Named after St. Francis of Assisi by a former pastor
Clergy, Staff, and Parish Office
St. Andrew is pastored by Fr. Omar Galván, who is assisted by Deacon José Morales. Parish operations are supported by Secretary/Bookkeeper Jennifer Calvario and Director of Religious Education Mayra Marcial. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Pastor: Fr. Omar Galván
- Deacon: Dc. José Morales
- Secretary/Bookkeeper: Jennifer Calvario
- Director of Religious Education (DRE): Mayra Marcial
- Office hours: Mon.–Fri. 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Religious Education and Faith Formation
The parish runs religious education classes for about 80 children, divided into a pre-kindergarten through 5th grade group and a 6th through 12th grade group. Because usable classroom space at St. Francis Parish Center is limited, small offices have been converted into classrooms to accommodate the program. The Director of Religious Education, Mayra Marcial, coordinates this catechetical work.
- Pre-K through 5th grade faith formation
- 6th through 12th grade faith formation (including Confirmation preparation)
- Approximately 80 children served
- Classes currently split across multiple rooms and small offices in the parish center
Parish Life and Fundraising
The Hispanic Catholic community at St. Andrew has long supported the parish through grassroots fundraising — most visibly by selling food after Sunday Mass and by gathering each August for the annual parish festival, which raised roughly $15,000 in 2022. Combined with insurance proceeds from the 2020 water damage at St. Francis Parish Center, these efforts have helped the parish begin moving toward the major renovation of the parish center that the One Church 2021–2022 partnership ($133,000 raised) was designed to launch.
- Food sales after Sunday Mass (Hispanic community fundraiser)
- Annual August parish festival (about $15,000 in 2022)
- Insurance funds from 2020 water damage (about $36,000)
- One Church: Unite Arkansas in Faith and Mission 2021–2022 partnership ($133,000)
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
St. Andrew Church is located at 1810 East 8th Street (Highway 10) in Danville, Arkansas. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1262, Danville, AR 72833. The parish office can be reached at (479) 495-3404 or by email at [email protected] during office hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Street address: 1810 E. 8th St. (Hwy. 10), Danville, AR 72833
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1262, Danville, AR 72833
- Phone: (479) 495-3404
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon.–Fri. 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- Attended from St. Augustine Church, Dardanelle
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Glenmary Home Missioners (Brother David Henley and order)Prior to 2006
Religious order that originally staffed the Yell County Catholic mission and helped establish the community that became St. Andrew.
- Fr. James Melnickc. 2014
Pastor of St. Augustine Church in Dardanelle and St. Andrew Church in Danville; launched the Yell County Catholic app in January 2014, reportedly the first parish-specific app in the Diocese of Little Rock.
- Fr. Mauricio Carrascoc. 2021–2022
Pastor during the One Church 2021–2022 partnership campaign; oversaw efforts to renovate St. Francis Parish Center; spoke publicly about gratitude and the long-term fidelity needed to complete the project.
- Fr. Omar GalvánCurrent
Listed as pastor on the Diocese of Little Rock parish directory.