About St. Elizabeth of Hungary · Eureka Springs, Arkansas
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church is a small but vibrant, historic, Eucharistic-centered parish in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, serving both local parishioners and visitors from around the world. The stone church, built in 1909 as a memorial from railroad financier and U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary Richard Kerens to his mother, sits in a tier of land between the Carnegie Library and the Crescent Hotel and is listed on the National Historic Register. Mass is celebrated in the historic church on Sunday mornings and at the Parish Center (232 Passion Play Road) for the Saturday Vigil, with weekday Masses Tuesday through Friday. The parish is part of the Diocese of Little Rock and is pastored by Rev. Joseph Archibong, who has served since 2016.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth of Hungary
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Archibong
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a small, intimate, Eucharistic-centered community that warmly welcomes both longtime parishioners and the worldwide stream of visitors that flows through Eureka Springs. Sunday Mass is offered in the historic stone church (and livestreamed), while the Saturday Vigil is held in the wheelchair-accessible Parish Center on Passion Play Road. The parish sustains a remarkable roster of ministries for its size — liturgical service (Eucharistic ministers, lectors, altar servers, ushers, sacristans, music), homebound ministry of care, the St. Joseph Guild & Gardens, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Knights of Columbus — alongside a beloved Gift Shop and private guided church tours. Couples from around the world also choose to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony in this National Historic Register landmark.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM (Historic Church)
- Saturday 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM (Parish Center, 232 Passion Play Rd.)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM (Historic Church, Mass to follow)
- Extended Adoration the last Tuesday of the month, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Historic Church)
Parish History
Catholic faith in Eureka Springs dates to about 1880, when Father Michael Smythe, a missionary priest from Fort Smith, began building a frame church that was completed in 1882 — the year the Diocese of Little Rock recognized the foundation as a 'station with a church.' The present stone church was built between 1904 and 1909 as a memorial from Richard C. Kerens to his mother Elizabeth. The 1904 chapel became the Rotunda, and in 1908 Kerens added the church proper, which was dedicated on May 11, 1909. Italian marble altars and mosaic flooring were imported; Stations paintings were donated by parishioners; and the Bell Tower was funded by Kerens in 1910 — the year after he became U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary.
- 1882 — Diocese of Little Rock recognizes Eureka Springs Catholic mission as a 'station with a church'
- 1904 — Richard Kerens begins the Elizabeth memorial chapel on Crescent Drive
- 1908 — Kerens adds the church proper after consulting Bishop Edward Fitzgerald
- 1909 — Dedication of Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church, May 11
- 1910 — Bell Tower completed, funded by Kerens
- Early 1950s — Father Joseph W. Lauro leads major restoration; stone rectory built; Italian marble garden statues installed (1953)
- 1958 — White Carrara marble Stations of the Cross installed
- 1983 — Great chandelier (~7,500 crystals, 19 lights) donated
- 2014 — Main roof rebuilt (original terracotta barrel tiles retained)
- 2018 — Church totally rewired
- 2019 — Art restoration completed; Rotunda ceiling painted deep blue with gold stars
Architecture & The Historic Building
The parish's historic church is a Byzantine-styled stone complex built into the side of a mountain on Crescent Drive, listed on the National Historic Register. The original 1904 memorial chapel (now the Rotunda/narthex and baptistery) is built of locally quarried rusticated limestone with randomly inset paler, rose-colored dolomite limestone blocks; its impressive Byzantine dome was re-covered in slate-gray copper panels in a 1949 renovation. Slender rounded-arched stained-glass windows illuminate the interior. The simple rectangular church addition has a red tile roof, and only the upper portions of the buildings are visible from street level — a freestanding forty-foot-high square stone bell tower of rusticated stone marks their presence below.
- Exterior: locally quarried dolomite limestone
- Interior: imported Italian marble altars and mosaic flooring
- Bell Tower: forty-foot freestanding rusticated stone, tall arched sides (1910)
- Chandelier: ~7,500 crystals and 19 interior lights (1983)
- Gardens with Italian Carrara marble statuary by Checchi Mario (1953, 1958)
Parish Staff & Administration
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Joseph Archibong and supported by a small but committed staff of lay ministers and council leaders. The Parish Center office at 232 Passion Play Road is open Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (phone 479-253-2222, fax 479-253-6616).
- Pastor — Rev. Joseph Archibong
- Parish Secretary & Bookkeeper — Leva Murphy
- Liturgical & Care Ministries — Leva Murphy; Nancy Elfter
- Director of Music Ministries — Sharon Parker
- Parish Council Chair, Gift Shop Manager, Parish Life — Rod McGuire
- Finance Council Chair — Ted Meyer
- St. Joseph Guild & Gardens — Mike Lubbers
- Knights of Columbus — Mike Godfrey; Steve and Kari Vitt
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul (St. Anne Conference) — 870-423-3572
Liturgical Service Ministries
Drawing on the Greek roots of 'liturgy' (work for the people) and 'ministry' (to serve), the parish invites volunteers to serve at the altar and beyond in the spirit of Jesus, 'who came not to receive service but to give it.' Volunteers may sign up through the parish website.
- Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist
- Homebound Ministries of Holy Communion
- Altar Server
- Lector
- Usher
- Music Ministry
- Sacristan
Faith Formation, RCIA & Youth Ministry
St. Elizabeth partners with St. Anne Catholic Church in Berryville, AR (614 Main St., 870-423-3927) for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and Youth Religious Education. The parish website includes a dedicated 'Explore Catholicism' page for inquirers, those who have never been baptized, adult Catholics needing First Communion or Confirmation, and baptized Christians from other denominations who wish to enter full communion.
- RCIA — contact St. Anne Church, Berryville
- Youth Religious Education — contact St. Anne Church, Berryville
- Explore Catholicism inquiry page on stelizabetheureka.com
- Resources for Returning Catholics ('Coming Back to the Church')
Sacraments & Sacramental Life
The parish prepares parishioners and visitors for the sacraments of initiation, healing, and service. The Parish Office can direct those seeking Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, or Sacramental Care for the homebound and hospitalized. Reconciliation is offered weekly at the scheduled times, and the Anointing of the Sick is offered at the First Friday Mass. St. Elizabeth is also a popular destination church for couples from around the world who wish to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony in the historic setting.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation — contact Parish Office
- Reconciliation — Thursday 9:15 AM; Saturday 2:30 PM
- Anointing of the Sick — First Friday 12:00 PM at the Parish Center
- Matrimony — contact Parish Office at 479-253-2222
Outreach & Community Life
Beyond liturgical service, the parish supports charitable and fellowship works through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (St. Anne Conference), the Knights of Columbus, and the St. Joseph Guild & Gardens, which tends the historic church gardens and statuary. The Liturgical & Care Ministries team visits the homebound and hospitalized with Holy Communion and prayer.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul (870-423-3572) — svdpberryville.weebly.com
- Knights of Columbus — Mike Godfrey; Steve and Kari Vitt
- St. Joseph Guild & Gardens — Mike Lubbers
- Ministry of Care for the sick and homebound
Gift Shop & Guided Tours
The St. Elizabeth Gift Shop sits in a small building behind the church. It carries a large selection of medals, holy cards, rosaries, crucifixes, statuary, and religious art, and is generally open five days a week (March through November) and on weekends during the holiday season (gift shop phone 479-253-8045). Private, historically accurate guided tours of the church can be booked through the parish secretary by calling 479-253-2222; length and cost depend on group size.
- Gift Shop — behind the church, 479-253-8045
- Private guided historic church tours — by appointment, 479-253-2222
Project Revival & Building Stewardship
The parish has launched a 'Project Revival' capital campaign to fund the required replacement and repair of all roofing on the historic church building. After careful consideration, the parish council selected the bid from the Durable Slate Company for $622,944. The campaign seeks to raise the necessary sum to preserve the National Historic Register landmark for future generations.
- Project Revival Capital Campaign
- Selected bid: Durable Slate Company — $622,944
- Scope: full roof replacement/repair on the historic church
Visiting & Joining the Parish
St. Elizabeth welcomes all visitors to Eureka Springs to pray and worship in the historic church. Practicing Catholics who have recently received the Sacrament of Reconciliation are invited to share in the Holy Eucharist; non-practicing visitors are invited to come forward with arms crossed over their chest to receive a sacramental blessing. New parishioners are encouraged to register; registration forms are available in the narthex at both the church and Parish Center, or by calling the Parish Office Tuesday or Thursday.
- Visitor welcome: sacramental blessing for non-practicing Catholics
- Parish registration forms in the narthex (church & Parish Center)
- Parish Center office hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Phone: 479-253-2222
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William J. Carroll1909-1913
First pastor after the 1909 dedication of the church.
- Rev. B. H. Feurst1914
- Rev. Augustine H. Metz1920-1930
- Rev. Joseph M. Burns1931
- Rev. R. J. Marmon1932-1940
- Rev. L. H. Schaefer1941-1942
- Rev. Louis V. Stemac1943-1944
- Rev. Edward R. Maloy1945
- Rev. Amos H. Enderlin1946
- Rev. Henry J. Chinery1947-1950
- Rev. Joseph W. Lauro1951-1958
Led the major mid-century restoration, built the stone rectory, and commissioned Italian marble garden statues.
- Rev. Francis J. Janesko1959
- Rev. Joseph W. Lauro1960
Second term — planned the Carrara marble Stations of the Cross (installed 1958).
- Rev. Francis J. Janesko1961-1964
- Rev. Edward L. Mooney1966-1967
- Rev. Walter B. Clancy1968
- Rev. Francis D. Colavechio1969
- Rev. Raymond L. O'Dwyer1970
- Rev. Edward E. Simpson1971-1972
- Rev. Herman P. Strassle1973-1974
- Rev. Vincent E. McGuire1975-1976
- Rev. Richard P. Davis1977-1979
- Rev. Raymond R. Rossi1980-1984
- Rev. Robert A. Dagwell1985-1986
- Rev. Robert T. Dienert1987-1995
- Rev. James M. Fanrak1996-2001
- Rev. Thomas A. Arackal2002-2009
- Rev. Shaun C. Wesley2010-2013
- Very Rev. Kevin Atunzu2014-2015
- Rev. Joseph Archibong2016-Present
Current pastor.