About St. Joseph · Paris, Arkansas
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic German-heritage parish serving Logan County in the Arkansas River Valley from its location in Paris, Arkansas. Founded by German Catholic settlers in the late 1870s and led today by Fr. Irudaya Raj Nalazala Augustine with Deacon Tom Pohlmeier, the parish is part of the Diocese of Little Rock's River Valley Deanery and shares ministry with neighboring St. Mary Church in Altus. The current brick church, dedicated in 1927, still houses the bronze bells consecrated in 1888 and the statue of St. Joseph from the original frame church. A PreK-8 elementary school, a Mother's/Altar Society, Catholic Youth Ministry, and a long-running quilters' group make up the core of parish life, all under the motto 'United in Hope, Joined in Faith.'
- Established
- 1880
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Irudaya Raj Nalazala Augustine
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (Catholic Diocese of Little Rock), River Valley Deanery
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, family-sized Catholic community where the same families have worshipped for more than 140 years and where newcomers are quickly known by name. Daily and weekly Masses are supported by Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays and Thursdays, an active Mother's/Altar Society and quilters' circle, Catholic Youth Ministry for grades 6–12, a Compassionate Cooks meal ministry for those returning home from the hospital or welcoming a new baby, and a parish school serving PreK through 8th grade — making it a genuine one-stop Catholic home for the River Valley.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:15 – 8:45 am
- Thursday: 7:00 – 7:45 pm
- By appointment
- Penance Services during Advent and Lent
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 12:00 pm – 7:30 pm
- Thursday: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Parish History and Heritage
St. Joseph is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in western Arkansas, born from the German Catholic immigration wave of the late 1870s. The parish's founding log church (1880), frame church (1881), expanded cross-shaped church (1902), and current brick church (dedicated June 12, 1927) trace more than 140 years of continuous Catholic worship on the same block of land donated by Mrs. Levise Waddill. The parish still preserves its 1888 bells, its 1920s statue of St. Joseph, and a clear connection to Subiaco Abbey through the 1926 cornerstone ceremony.
- 1870s — German Catholic settlers arrive; travel to St. Benedict Priory for Mass
- 1880 — First log church dedicated by Fr. Wolfgang Schlumpf
- 1881 — Frame church (30×45, 162 seats) dedicated by Bishop Fitzgerald on Nov. 25
- 1888 — Four bronze bells donated by parishioners and consecrated by Bishop Fitzgerald
- 1902 — Church enlarged into a cross with transepts and rounded sanctuary
- May 13, 1926 — Cornerstone laid by Abbot Edward Burgert of Subiaco Abbey
- June 12, 1927 — Bishop John Morris dedicates the present church
Meet Our Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Irudaya Raj Nalazala Augustine and served by Deacon Tom Pohlmeier, who also serves as the parish's C/DRE and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) Director. The parish office is staffed by Sharon Pohlmeier and is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.
- Pastor — Fr. Nalazala Raj (Fr. Irudaya Raj Nalazala Augustine)
- Deacon / C-DRE / OCIA Director — Dc. Tom Pohlmeier (479-963-3355)
- Parish Secretary — Sharon Pohlmeier (479-963-2131)
- Youth Director — Holly Komp
Parish Organizations and Ministries
Parish life at St. Joseph is built around a network of lay-led organizations that cover governance, fellowship, youth, service to neighbors in need, and stewardship. The Parish Council advises the pastor on a rotating three-year term; the Stewardship Committee coordinates activities across ministries; and the Mother's/Altar Society and Tuesday Morning Quilters provide ongoing fellowship.
- Parish Council — Chair Beth Ullrich
- Stewardship Committee — Contact Jessie McGarrah (479-518-1549)
- Mother's / Altar Society — meets second Sunday after Mass; contact Frances Rhineheart (479-963-3945)
- Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) — grades 6–12, monthly; led by Holly Komp
- Compassionate Cooks — meal ministry since Sept. 2012
- Bereavement Committee — Jane Koehler or Paulette Spivey
- Cemetery Committee — Chair Nick Neumeir
- Tuesday Morning Quilters — weekly fellowship; contact Frances Rhineheart (479-963-3945)
St. Joseph School
St. Joseph School is the parish's PreK through 8th-grade elementary school, located just steps from the church at 25 S. Spruce St. in Paris. It is part of the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock school system and serves as the educational arm of the parish's faith formation for local families.
- Grades: PreK – 8
- Address: 25 S. Spruce St., Paris AR 72855
- Phone: (479) 963-2119
- Principal — Theresa Hayward ([email protected])
- Secretary — Leslie Maddox ([email protected])
Sacraments at St. Joseph
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Reconciliation is offered regularly each week (and as a special Penance Service during Advent and Lent). Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are coordinated through the pastor and parish office.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Communion (Eucharist)
- Marriage (Matrimony)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation / Confession (Sundays, Thursdays, by appointment; Advent/Lent Penance Services)
The Bells and the Statue: Links to the Founders
Two objects inside the present church connect today's parishioners directly to the German Catholic founders of the 1880s. The statue of St. Joseph in the sanctuary is the only furnishing that survived from the pre-1925 buildings, and the three bronze bells hanging in the 1927 tower were the gifts of founding parish families — the Wahl, Elsken, Zeller, Gerber, Huber, and Fritz households — consecrated by Bishop Fitzgerald in 1888 and still bearing their original 'baptismal' inscriptions.
- St. Elizabeth the Queen — 1,200 lb bell — given by the Wahl, Elsken, and Zeller families
- St. Joseph — 850 lb bell — given by the St. Joseph's Society
- Blessed Virgin — 450 lb bell — given by the Gerber, Huber, and Fritz families
- Statue of St. Joseph — sole surviving item from the pre-1925 church
Visit and Contact
St. Joseph Catholic Church is located at 15 S. Spruce St., Paris, AR 72855, in Logan County. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon. The same pastorate also serves St. Mary Church in Altus.
- Address: 15 S. Spruce St., Paris, AR 72855
- Parish phone: (479) 963-2131
- Office hours: Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Fri. 9 a.m.–noon
- Deanery: River Valley Deanery, Diocese of Little Rock
- Also serves: St. Mary Church, Altus
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Wolfgang Schlumpforganized the parish c. 1880
First pastor; celebrated Mass at Vincent Staus's log cabin and dedicated the first log church in 1880.
- Fr. Felix Rumpfsuccessor to Fr. Schlumpf
Received two lots from Mrs. Levise Waddill for church and school; oversaw construction of the 1881 frame church.
- Fr. Athanasius Zehnder1918–1928
Directed construction of the present brick church; Abbot Edward Burgert of Subiaco Abbey laid the cornerstone on May 13, 1926 under his leadership.