About St. Jude Thaddeus · Clinton, Arkansas
St. Jude Thaddeus Church is a small Catholic parish in Clinton, Arkansas, the county seat of Van Buren County. It belongs to the Diocese of Little Rock and sits in the River Valley Deanery, and it is currently attended from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Bay, sharing pastoral ministry with that parish. The community gathers on Highway 65 South for weekly Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the sacraments, served by a tight-knit staff and volunteer leadership.
- Patron
- St. Jude Thaddeus
- Rector
- Fr. Thomas J. Hart
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (River Valley Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Jude Thaddeus offers a welcoming, family-sized Catholic community in Van Buren County where Mass, confession, adoration, and faith formation are all within reach. Families looking for OCIA preparation, ongoing religious education for their children, and a parish where the pastor personally coordinates adult initiation will find a place to belong. Because the parish is attended from St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Bay, visitors from the Greers Ferry Lake area know they are walking into an interconnected community of faith across the River Valley Deanery.
Mass times at St. Jude Thaddeus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday after Mass
- Wednesday before Mass
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Sunday 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. (First Sundays only)
- Wednesday 5:00 p.m.
- Holy Days: As announced
About St. Jude Thaddeus Church
St. Jude Thaddeus is a Catholic parish located along Highway 65 South in Clinton, the seat of Van Buren County in north-central Arkansas. It is part of the Diocese of Little Rock and belongs to the River Valley Deanery. Because it is a smaller rural parish, it is officially 'attended from' St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Bay, and the same pastor, Fr. Thomas J. Hart, serves both communities. The parish draws Catholics from Clinton, Fairfield Bay, Shirley, and the surrounding Greers Ferry Lake area.
- Diocese: Little Rock
- Deanery: River Valley
- County: Van Buren
- Attended from: St. Francis of Assisi Church, Fairfield Bay
Parish Staff
The parish is staffed by a small but committed team combining clergy and lay leadership. Fr. Thomas J. Hart serves as pastor and also as the parish's OCIA Coordinator. Day-to-day operations are handled by a secretary, bookkeeper, faith-formation leader, and music director who together keep the parish's worship, formation, and administrative life running.
- Fr. Thomas J. Hart — Pastor & OCIA Coordinator ([email protected])
- Olivia Gilmore — Secretary
- Shelley Tienken — Bookkeeper
- Catherine Swift — C/DRE (Coordinator/Director of Religious Education)
- Toni Loudon — Music Director
Pastor: Fr. Thomas J. Hart
Fr. Thomas J. Hart ('TJ') is the current pastor of both St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Clinton and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Bay. He was ordained a priest on June 30, 2007, and was appointed pastor of the two parishes effective July 2022, having previously served St. Boniface Church in New Dixie, St. Francis of Assisi in Little Italy, and St. Elizabeth in Oppelo. He also serves as the parish's OCIA Coordinator and is noted on the diocesan directory as able to celebrate Mass in Spanish.
- Ordained: June 30, 2007
- Birthday: July 2
- Best contact: St. Francis of Assisi Church, Fairfield Bay, (501) 884-3349
- Email: [email protected]
Pastoral Succession
The Diocese of Little Rock publishes pastoral assignment changes for the parish. Fr. J. Lucas Womack served as administrator and then pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Bay, and St. Jude Thaddeus, Clinton, with Spanish-language ministry at St. Albert, Heber Springs. In 2022 he was reassigned to Our Lady of Fatima in Benton, and Fr. Thomas J. Hart was named his successor in both Clinton and Fairfield Bay.
- Fr. J. Lucas Womack — approx. 2020–2022
- Fr. Thomas J. Hart — 2022 to present
Ministries & Faith Formation
Although a small parish, St. Jude Thaddeus maintains the core ministries expected of a Catholic community. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is coordinated personally by the pastor, ensuring that adults seeking baptism, confirmation, or full communion have a direct line of support. Catherine Swift serves as Coordinator/Director of Religious Education (C/DRE), overseeing faith formation for children and families. Music Ministry is led by Toni Loudon, who prepares the music for Sunday and Holy Day liturgies.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Fr. Hart
- Religious Education (C/DRE) — Catherine Swift
- Music Ministry — Toni Loudon
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the central sacraments of the Church. Sunday and Wednesday Masses, along with Holy Day liturgies, are the source of Eucharistic life. Confession is offered after Sunday Mass and before Wednesday Mass, or by appointment. Adults seeking initiation prepare through OCIA, and the parish shares its sacramental life with the wider River Valley Deanery.
- Eucharist — Sunday 11 a.m., Wednesday 5 p.m., Holy Days as announced
- Reconciliation — Sunday after Mass, Wednesday before Mass, or by appointment
- OCIA — coordinated by Fr. Hart
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. J. Lucas Womackapprox. 2020 – 2022
Previously served as administrator then pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Fairfield Bay, and St. Jude Thaddeus Church, Clinton, with additional Spanish-language ministry at St. Albert Church, Heber Springs. Relieved of these assignments in 2022.
- Fr. Thomas J. Hart2022 – present
Appointed pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Fairfield Bay, and St. Jude Thaddeus Church, Clinton, effective July 2022. Also serves as OCIA Coordinator. Ordained June 30, 2007; birthday July 2; nickname 'TJ'.