About St. Anthony · Weiner, Arkansas
St. Anthony Church is a small Roman Catholic mission parish in Weiner, Arkansas (Poinsett County), within the Diocese of Little Rock's North Delta Deanery. Founded in 1906 by German-settler families from the West Prairie area, the parish is 'attended from' Blessed Sacrament Church in nearby Jonesboro, meaning its priests serve St. Anthony in addition to their Jonesboro assignments. The current church building is a 1936 yellow-brick structure with a bell tower, traditional statues, stained glass, and a Latin inscription above the altar, and the parish was added to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places in 2023.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Anthony (of Padua)
- Rector
- Msgr. R. Scott Friend
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock
Why belong here
St. Anthony is a small, historic mission parish where Mass is offered five days a week (Sunday through Saturday morning), confession is readily available after weekday Masses, and faith formation is provided through a Director of Religious Education (Emaly Stonecipher). Because the mission is served from Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro, parishioners receive care from a team of priests and are supported by a tight-knit volunteer staff handling parish operations, bookkeeping, and the bulletin — the kind of personal involvement that defines rural Catholic life in northeast Arkansas.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday after 8 a.m. Mass or by appointment
- Thursday after 8 a.m. Mass or by appointment
- Friday after 8 a.m. Mass or by appointment
- Saturday after 8 a.m. Mass or by appointment
History of St. Anthony Church, Weiner
St. Anthony's Catholic Church was built in 1906 by eight German-Catholic families who had settled the West Prairie area of Poinsett County after migrating from Midwestern states. Bishop Edward M. Fitzgerald of Little Rock dedicated the original church. A parish school opened in 1920 with twenty-two students; the Sisters' House (Family Center) was built in 1922 and the rectory in 1928. After fires in 1931 and 1936 — and Bishop John B. Morris's help in raising rebuilding funds — the present yellow-brick church with bell tower was constructed in 1936, with the cornerstone still bearing that year in Roman numerals.
- Founded 1906 by eight German-Catholic families
- Parish school opened 1920 with 22 students
- Sisters' House (Family Center) built 1922
- Rectory built 1928
- Fires in 1931 and 1936; present church built 1936
- Listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places, August 2023
Architecture and the Historic Building
The 1936 church is constructed of North American yellow brick and crowned with a bell tower. Inside, the layout is classical: a nave, apse, balcony over the entrance housing the organ and choir, and a Latin inscription above the altar framing — 'Adoro te devote latens deitas,' 'I adore thee devoutly, hidden God.' The interior retains its historic statues, altar, and stained-glass windows; over time the pews and altar have been replaced and the side altars removed, but the parish retains the 'traditional' Catholic character longtime members cherish.
- North American yellow brick exterior
- Bell tower at the peak
- Nave, apse, and front balcony for organ and choir
- Latin inscription above the altar: 'Adoro te devote latens deitas'
- Traditional statues, altar, and stained glass preserved
Clergy and Parish Staff
Because St. Anthony is a mission attended from Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro, its pastoral care is provided by the Jonesboro team led by Pastor Msgr. R. Scott Friend, with Associate Pastors Fr. Kiran Kishore Ingilela, Fr. Cody Eveld, and Fr. Tuan Do. The day-to-day operations of the mission itself are carried out by a small group of lay staff and volunteers.
- Pastor: Msgr. R. Scott Friend
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Kiran Kishore Ingilela
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Cody Eveld
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Tuan Do
- Parish Operations: David Schwarz
- Bookkeeper: Steven Schwarz ([email protected])
- DRE and Faith Formation: Emaly Stonecipher ([email protected])
- Parish Bulletin and News: Dorothy Grissom ([email protected])
Faith Formation
Faith formation for the parish is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Emaly Stonecipher, who can be reached through the parish email or at [email protected]. As a small mission, the program is closely tied to families and the surrounding public-school community.
- DRE and Faith Formation: Emaly Stonecipher ([email protected])
Historic Campus and Cemetery
Beyond the church itself, the parish grounds preserve three other historic buildings from the early 20th century: the former parochial school (begun 1920), the rectory or Priest's House (1928), and the Family Center, originally the Sisters' House (1922). Together with the 1936 church, these structures form the nucleus of a proposed historic district commemorating the region's German-Catholic heritage. A parish cemetery is also part of the property.
- Parochial school (begun 1920, 22 original students)
- Rectory / Priest's House (1928)
- Family Center / Sisters' House (1922)
- Proposed historic district (church + three support buildings + cemetery)
Heritage and the Historic Register
Parishioner Dr. Jeannie Sitzer, a public-school teacher and member of St. Anthony, undertook her Arkansas State University doctoral dissertation on the parish's history, 'Preserving a Catholic Community: The History of St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Weiner, Arkansas,' completed in 2021. Her research led to the unanimous vote of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program review board in August 2023 placing St. Anthony on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places, with the nomination forwarded to the National Park Service for review. The project envisions the church, its support buildings, and its cemetery serving as the centerpiece of a heritage-preservation effort for the area's German Catholic community.
- Researcher: Dr. Jeannie Sitzer, Arkansas State University (dissertation 2021)
- Added to Arkansas Register of Historic Places, August 2023
- Nomination forwarded to National Park Service
- Catholic Knights of America active at parish by 1925
Visiting and Contact
Office hours are by appointment only; visitors should call (501) 288-3664 or email [email protected] before coming by. The church is located at 407 Kings Highway in Weiner (Poinsett County), with a mailing address of P.O. Box 76, Weiner, AR 72479.
- Address: 407 Kings Highway, Weiner, AR 72479
- Mailing: P.O. Box 76, Weiner, AR 72479
- Phone: (501) 288-3664
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: By appointment
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Bishop Edward M. Fitzgerald1906
Bishop of Little Rock who dedicated the original 1906 church.
- Father Otto Butterbach1938–1947
Pastor during the post-1936-rebuild era; appears in a 1935 class photo at the school alongside teaching sisters Sister Selesai, Sister Jerome, and Sister Paula.
- Bishop John B. Morris
Helped secure funds to rebuild the parish after the fires of 1931 and 1936.