About St. Anthony · Ratcliff, Arkansas
St. Anthony Church in Ratcliff, Arkansas is a small historic Catholic parish of the Diocese of Little Rock, serving the western Arkansas River Valley from Logan County. The parish has roots as the third mission church established in 1879 by the Benedictine monks of Subiaco Abbey to minister to German Catholic immigrants who had fled Bismarck's Kulturkampf and settled along the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway. The present wood-frame church, completed in 1903 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, still anchors the small community of Ratcliff. Today the parish is 'attended from' Sacred Heart Church in Charleston, with Deacon Kenneth Stengel serving as Pastoral Administrator and Fr. Polycarp Ssebbowa as Sacramental Minister.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- St. Anthony
- Rector
- Fr. Polycarp Ssebbowa (Sacramental Minister); Dc. Kenneth Stengel (Pastoral Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas)
Why belong here
St. Anthony's is a small, historic parish where Catholic life in the western Arkansas River Valley has been continuously practiced since 1879. The community gathers for Sunday Mass at 9 a.m., Thursday evening Mass at 6 p.m., weekly Confession and Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction on Thursdays, and ongoing formation through OCIA, religious education, and a parish choir — all under the pastoral care of Deacon Kenneth Stengel and Sacramental Minister Fr. Polycarp Ssebbowa. Visitors and parishioners are drawn by the chance to worship in a 1903 church listed on the National Register of Historic Places, rooted in the German-Benedictine immigrant heritage of Logan County.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:10 – 5:45 p.m.
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:00 – 5:45 p.m. (adoration and benediction)
History of St. Anthony Church, Ratcliff
St. Anthony's is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in western Arkansas, founded in 1879 as the third mission church established by the Benedictine monks of Subiaco Abbey for German Catholic immigrants who had settled along the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway in Logan County. The present church on the hill above Ratcliff was completed in 1903, replacing an earlier mission structure near the community then known as National Springs. The parish was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
- 1879 — Mission founded by Subiaco Abbey as the third of its Logan County missions
- 1903 — Current wood-frame church completed closer to the new Ratcliff depot
- August 21, 1986 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #86001885)
German Catholic Immigration & the Subiaco Abbey Connection
The parish exists because of one of Arkansas's few organized efforts at European settlement. In the 1870s, the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway, seeking to sell its land grants, partnered with the Benedictine order at St. Meinrad's Abbey in Indiana to attract German Catholics fleeing Otto von Bismarck's Kulturkampf. Abbot Martin Marty sent three monk-missionaries west; the first recorded Mass in Logan County was celebrated on March 19, 1878, and the community grew into St. Benedict's Colony, then Subiaco Abbey (raised to abbey status by Pope Leo XIII in 1891). The abbey organized seven mission churches across Logan County, of which St. Anthony's was the third.
- Founded as part of St. Benedict's Colony, 1877–1878
- Subiaco Abbey raised to abbey status by Pope Leo XIII, 1891
- St. Anthony's was the third of seven Logan County mission churches
Architecture of the 1903 Church
St. Anthony's is a modest but distinctive rural Catholic church of wood-frame construction. It sits on a hill overlooking the town of Ratcliff in the upper Arkansas River Valley, and its rectangular plan is distinguished by an imposing square bell tower and an apse. The exterior exhibits simple classical elements on the cornice, door and window surrounds, and corner-board trim. The interior retains much of its original character, including a gambrel-shaped ceiling over the nave, a wood arch imitating a vault between the nave and apse, a south-end balcony that once housed the organ and choir, and a small rear room that served as quarters for the nuns who taught at the parish school.
- Single-story wood-frame structure with weatherboard siding
- Gabled roof over a continuous native stone foundation
- Square bell tower with pyramidal roof, cross, and gablets on each side
- Hooded main entrance with slender, double-paneled wood doors
- Gambrel-shaped nave ceiling, vaulted wood arch, and south-end balcony
Parish Staff & Pastoral Leadership
The parish is served by Sacramental Minister Fr. Polycarp Ssebbowa and Pastoral Administrator Deacon Kenneth Stengel. Deacon Stengel also coordinates the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and serves as the parish's Annulment Advocate. Marcela Stengel coordinates Family Life ministry, Preston Stengel serves as C/DRE (Coordinator/Director of Religious Education), and Julie Rochester-Smith directs the parish choir.
- Fr. Polycarp Ssebbowa — Sacramental Minister
- Dc. Kenneth Stengel — Pastoral Administrator, OCIA Coordinator, Annulment Advocate
- Marcela Stengel — Family Life
- Preston Stengel — C/DRE
- Julie Rochester-Smith — Choir Director
Parish Ministries & Faith Formation
St. Anthony's offers a small but full range of formation and pastoral ministries typical of a rural Catholic parish in the Diocese of Little Rock. Adult initiation is provided through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), and ongoing religious education for children and youth is coordinated by the parish C/DRE. Family Life ministry and a parish choir round out the parish's regular programming.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Dc. Kenneth Stengel
- Religious Education / C.D.R.E. — Preston Stengel
- Family Life — Marcela Stengel
- Parish Choir — Julie Rochester-Smith
Sacraments
In addition to the regular Sunday and Thursday Mass schedule, St. Anthony's celebrates the sacraments of the Church — including weekly Confession and Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction on Thursdays. Those preparing for marriage, baptism, or seeking information about annulments are encouraged to contact the parish through Deacon Kenneth Stengel.
- Confession — Thursday 5:10 – 5:45 p.m.
- Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction — Thursday 5:00 – 5:45 p.m.
- Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing — by appointment
- OCIA (RCIA) for adults — Dc. Kenneth Stengel
- Annulment advocacy — Dc. Kenneth Stengel
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Anthony Church is located at 470 North Wilson Avenue in Ratcliff, Arkansas (mailing address: P.O. Box 60, Ratcliff, AR 72951), in the Diocese of Little Rock's River Valley Deanery. The parish phone is (479) 970-3063 (Dc. Stengel) and email is [email protected]. The official parish page on the diocesan website provides a map and driving directions. Because the parish is currently 'attended from' Sacred Heart Church in Charleston, visitors with questions about sacramental needs or sacramental emergencies are encouraged to reach out through the contact information listed.
- Address: 470 N. Wilson Ave., Ratcliff, AR 72951
- Mailing: P.O. Box 60, Ratcliff, AR 72951
- Phone: (479) 970-3063 (Dc. Stengel)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.dolr.org/parishes/st-anthony-church-ratcliff
- Deanery: River Valley Deanery, Diocese of Little Rock