About St. Anne · Berryville, Arkansas
St. Anne Catholic Church is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Berryville, Arkansas, serving Catholics in Carroll County within the Diocese of Little Rock (West Ozark Deanery). The parish was built in 1958 by Father Joseph Lauro — known as the "Action Priest" — and dedicated on November 15, 1958, by Archbishop O'Brien and Bishop Fletcher. Today St. Anne offers Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, weekday Mass on Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, Eucharistic Adoration, a strong religious education program, RCIA, a charismatic prayer group, the Knights of Columbus, the Cursillo movement, and a bilingual parish school called Escuela San Andrés. With its Gothic-style stone church built debt-free through community donations, St. Anne remains the largest church in Carroll County and a gathering place for the wider Eureka Springs–Berryville Catholic community.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Archibong
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (West Ozark Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Anne welcomes Catholics and seekers in both English and Spanish, with a Sunday liturgy schedule (11:00 AM English, 1:00 PM Spanish) that makes a bilingual Catholic community accessible to the whole family. The parish offers a complete sacramental life (Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick), weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays and a First Friday/Saturday vigil, RCIA for adults, parish religious education for children and youth, plus vibrant lay groups such as the Knights of Columbus, the Charismatic Group, Los Cursillos de Cristiandad, Escuela San Andrés, the music ministry, lectors, ushers, altar servers, and a Quinceañera ministry — giving every parishioner a way to serve.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00 – 5:45 PM
- Saturday 9:00 – 10:00 AM (also Saturday after Mass, per DOLR listing)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 5:00 – 6:00 PM (immediately before the 6:00 PM Mass)
- First Friday of the Month 7:00 PM through Saturday 8:00 AM (overnight First Friday / First Saturday vigil)
Parish History
St. Anne Catholic Church was founded in the 1950s by Father Joseph "Joe" Lauro, a former World War II pilot ordained at St. Andrew Cathedral in Little Rock on May 17, 1949. Father Lauro first restored St. Elizabeth's in Eureka Springs, then turned his attention to the Catholics of Berryville, where he raised funds, bought land, hired Protestant contractors Lawrence Putnam and Wayne Johnson, and recruited Chicago architect Frank Polito (who donated his drawings) to design a Gothic stone church. The building was dedicated debt-free on November 15, 1958, by Archbishop O'Brien, Bishop Fletcher, and Monsignor Murray. The parish's principal historical source is Father Lauro's memoir "The Action Priest," co-written with Arthur Orrmont.
- Dedicated November 15, 1958
- Built debt-free at a final cost of $60,000
- Largest church in Carroll County at its dedication
- Three times the size of nearby St. Elizabeth's in Eureka Springs
- Gothic style, stone from Carthage, Missouri
- Altar imported from an Italian sculptor near Rome
Parish Staff and Administration
St. Anne is served by a pastor, deacon, and a small lay staff who coordinate liturgy, formation, and parish operations. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Pastor — Rev. Joseph Archibong
- Deacon — Dc. Elías Rangel
- Parish Secretary & Bookkeeper — Regina Morris ([email protected])
- Director of Religious Education (CRE) — Pam Richter ([email protected])
- Chief Sacristan — Terry Dean
- Music Ministry — Ellen Eby (English); Jesse Fernandez de Lara (Spanish)
- Parish Council — Jeneanne Duncan
Sacramental Life
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments and provides preparation programs for each, with bilingual outreach for English- and Spanish-speaking families in Carroll County.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation
- Holy Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage and Marriage Preparation
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites
- Vocations discernment
- Quinceañeras
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Anne spans cradle-to-grave. The Parish Religious Education (PRE) program offers catechesis for children and youth, while RCIA welcomes adults exploring the Catholic faith. Catechists, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, lectors, and other formation leaders support the parish's teaching mission.
- Parish Religious Education (PRE) for children and youth — Pam Richter, CRE
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Parish Religious Education Teachers
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Altar Servers
Parish Life, Ministries, and Community Groups
Parish life at St. Anne includes a wide range of lay ministries and apostolates in both English and Spanish. The parish hosts an annual Almost Famous International Food Festival that brings together the wider community.
- Lectors
- Ushers
- Music Ministry
- Sacristans
- Los Cursillos de Cristiandad
- Escuela San Andrés
- Charismatic Group
- Knights of Columbus
- Parish Festival / Almost Famous International Food Festival
- Vacation Bible School (VBS)
- Quinceañera ministry
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, fax, or email during office hours, or visit in person at the church on South Main Street in Berryville.
- Address: 614 S. Main St., Berryville, AR 72616
- Phone: (870) 423-3927
- Fax: (870) 929-6376
- Parish Secretary: [email protected]
- Religious Education: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph "Joe" Lauroc. 1949–1962
Founder and builder of St. Anne. Ordained May 17, 1949 at St. Andrew Cathedral in Little Rock; first assigned to assist Father Harry Chinery at Mother of God Mission in Harrison. Restored St. Elizabeth's in Eureka Springs, then led the campaign to build St. Anne in Berryville, which was dedicated November 15, 1958. Left Arkansas in 1962 to minister to the poor in Ecuador; died in 1971. His memoir, "The Action Priest," co-written with Arthur Orrmont, is the parish's principal historical source.