About St. Leo the Great · Russellville, Arkansas
St. Leo the Great Catholic University Parish is a personal parish (under Canon Law Can. 518) of the Diocese of Little Rock, located in Russellville, Arkansas, on and near the campus of Arkansas Tech University. Its mission is to build a strong Catholic community on the Tech campus by sharing the faith, sacraments, traditions, service and fellowship with the university's students, faculty and staff. The parish operates from a 9,000-square-foot church and ministry center at 509 West L Street, dedicated by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor on April 14, 2021, after a quarter-century spent ministering out of a small house on the same block. The parish is also attended from the Church of the Assumption in nearby Atkins.
- Established
- 1996
- Patron
- St. Leo the Great (Pope Leo I)
- Rector
- Fr. Rajasekhar "Shekhar" Chittem
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (River Valley Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Leo's is the Catholic home for the Arkansas Tech community — students, faculty, staff, alumni and area residents — and it welcomes anyone seeking the sacraments, fellowship or service. The parish centers its life on weekly Mass (including a student-friendly Sunday evening Mass and an academic-year Wednesday Mass), the OCIA journey for adults discerning the faith, ongoing campus ministry, and regular adoration and confession. If you're looking for an active, mission-driven parish rooted in the rhythms of a college town, St. Leo's offers a small but deeply committed community in which to pray, serve and grow.
Mass times at St. Leo the Great
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 11:00 AM and 6:30 PM
- Monday: 12:30–1:30 PM
- Wednesday: 5:00–6:00 PM (fall–spring only)
- First Friday: 12:30–1:30 PM, or by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday: 12:30–1:30 PM
- Wednesday: 5:00–6:00 PM (fall–spring only)
- First Friday: 12:30–1:30 PM
About St. Leo the Great University Parish
St. Leo the Great Catholic University Parish exists to build a strong Catholic community on the campus of Arkansas Tech University, sharing faith, sacraments, traditions, service, fun and love for God and others. As a personal parish under Canon Law, it has a distinctive mission focused on serving the college students, faculty and staff of Arkansas Tech, and it is attended from the Church of the Assumption in Atkins.
- Diocese of Little Rock, River Valley Deanery
- Personal parish (Canon 518) with a campus ministry mission
- Attended from Church of the Assumption, Atkins
Parish History
Catholic campus ministry at Arkansas Tech began in 1993, and the parish was formally established in 1996 under founding pastor Fr. Ernie Hardesty, who worked alongside lay director Pat Buford for 25 years. For a quarter-century the ministry operated out of a 1,400-square-foot house on West L Street while the parish dreamed of a purpose-built home. That dream was realized with a Feb. 23, 2020 groundbreaking and an April 14, 2021 dedication by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of a 9,000-square-foot church and ministry center funded by a $3 million capital campaign. Fr. Hardesty continued as pastor until his death from pancreatic cancer on July 10, 2022, at age 73.
- 1993 – Fr. Ernie Hardesty begins serving Arkansas Tech students
- 1996 – Parish ministry begins in a 1,400 sq ft house on L Street
- Feb. 23, 2020 – Groundbreaking for the new church and hall
- April 14, 2021 – Bishop Anthony B. Taylor dedicates the new building
- 2022 – Fr. Rajasekhar 'Shekhar' Chittem named pastor
The New Church and Campus Ministry Center
The 9,000-square-foot facility, opened in 2021 and nicknamed 'the miracle on L Street,' replaced the cramped house that had housed the ministry since 1996. It includes a sanctuary seating 150, an adjoining cafeteria/gathering space seating another 150, and a large commercial kitchen for parish and student events. The altar was hand-built by Deacon Mark Verkamp, and the building houses a first-class relic of St. Leo the Great. HFA of Bentonville was the architect and Nabholz Construction of Conway the general contractor.
- 9,000 sq ft; sanctuary seats 150, cafeteria seats 150
- Large commercial kitchen for parish events
- Hand-built altar by Deacon Mark Verkamp
- First-class relic of St. Leo the Great
Staff and Leadership
The current pastor is Fr. Rajasekhar 'Shekhar' Chittem. The parish leadership team also includes Pat Buford (long-time director of college campus ministry), Mary Corkins (parish manager and development coordinator who led the new-building campaign), Jacob Moellers (campus minister), and Connor Evans (OCIA coordinator).
- Fr. Rajasekhar 'Shekhar' Chittem – Pastor
- Pat Buford – Director of Campus Ministry
- Mary Corkins – Parish Manager and Campus Minister
- Jacob Moellers – Campus Minister
- Connor Evans – OCIA Coordinator
Campus Ministry and OCIA
As a university parish, St. Leo's centers its ministry on Arkansas Tech students, faculty and staff. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is coordinated by Connor Evans and welcomes adults — including students — who wish to be received into the Catholic Church, complete their initiation sacraments, or learn more about the faith.
- Campus Minister: Jacob Moellers
- OCIA Coordinator: Connor Evans
- Mission focused on Arkansas Tech students, faculty and staff
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Ernie (Ernest) Hardesty1996–2022
Founding pastor; built the campus ministry over 25 years from a small house into a new $3 million church; also pastor of St. John (Russellville), St. Augustine (Dardanelle) and Church of the Assumption (Atkins); died July 10, 2022 at age 73.
- Fr. Rajasekhar "Shekhar" Chittem2022–present
Current pastor; listed on the parish About page and the Diocese of Little Rock parish directory.