About St. Louis · Camden, Arkansas
St. Louis Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in Camden, Arkansas (Ouachita County), part of the Diocese of Little Rock and its Ouachita Deanery. The current church building was dedicated by Bishop John B. Morris on December 2, 1923, and the parish marked its centennial in December 2023 with three days of celebrations. The parish is pastored by Fr. Michael Johns (Father Mike), who also serves Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Magnolia, and is supported by parish secretary Ashley Valencia and OCIA coordinator Maureen Zoerner. Despite a small congregation in one of the oldest towns in southwest Arkansas, St. Louis is known for its self-reliant parishioners, monthly community bingo nights, stained-glass windows restored with help from Soos Stained Glass, and a long tradition of Catholic life in the Ouachita River region.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- St. Louis (King Louis IX of France)
- Rector
- Fr. Michael (Mike) Johns
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock
Why belong here
St. Louis is a tight-knit parish where faith is lived out in real, practical ways: parishioners paint and tile the sanctuary themselves, cook Thanksgiving turkeys for those who have nowhere to go, and gather twice a month for community bingo nights that draw people from across Camden. Visitors will find a historic 1923 church with newly restored stained-glass windows, the warm welcome of a small-town congregation that has weathered 100 years together, and a pastor who also tends the neighboring parish in Magnolia. It is a place where Catholic life in southwest Arkansas is small in number but mighty in devotion.
Mass times at St. Louis
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. (before the 6 p.m. Mass)
- Saturday 3:00 p.m. (before the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass, per catholicmasstime.org listing)
Adoration times
- Sunday 7:30 – 8:15 a.m. (before the 8:00/8:30 a.m. Mass)
- Thursday 5:00 – 5:45 p.m. (before the 6:00 p.m. Mass)
About St. Louis Church
St. Louis Church is the Catholic parish serving Camden, Arkansas, the seat of Ouachita County in south-central Arkansas. It belongs to the Ouachita Deanery of the Diocese of Little Rock and is located at 202 N. Adams Avenue. The parish is a small, family-style community whose roots in Camden stretch back to the 1860s, although the present church building was dedicated in 1923. Father Michael 'Mike' Johns has served as pastor since January 2021, also caring for Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Magnolia.
- Diocese of Little Rock – Ouachita Deanery
- Pastor: Fr. Michael Johns
- Address: 202 N. Adams Ave., Camden, AR 71701
- Phone: (870) 836-2426
- Email: [email protected]
Parish History
Catholic worship in Camden began in the 1860s, but a stable parish and resident priest were long elusive. An earlier Catholic church built in 1871 had to be sold when it was about to collapse. The Catholic faithful then worshipped in the town's abandoned synagogue, welcomed there by Camden's Jewish citizens, while plans were made for a new church. That church — St. Louis — was dedicated December 2, 1923, by Bishop John B. Morris, the third bishop of Little Rock, with Father H.J. Heagney, a missionary priest who had arrived in 1918, shepherding the project.
- 1860s: Catholics first gather in Camden
- 1871: First Catholic church built in Camden (later sold)
- 1911: St. Louis listed with mission stations across south Arkansas
- 1918: Fr. H.J. Heagney arrives as missionary
- Dec. 2, 1923: St. Louis Church dedicated by Bishop John B. Morris
The 1923 Building and Stained Glass
The 1923 church is the worship home of the parish. By the early 2020s its stained-glass windows had deteriorated badly — Soos Stained Glass reported that all of the windows had 'failed' and many were leaking. Under Father Mike Johns, parishioners worked alongside the professionals to repair the most damaged windows, helping preserve a defining feature of the historic building.
- Original stained-glass windows professionally evaluated and restored
- Soos Stained Glass brought in for the restoration work
- Parishioners partnered with the professionals on repairs
The 2023 Centennial Celebration
The parish marked 100 years on December 8–10, 2023, with three major events. Friday night was a community bingo blowout — the $1,000 jackpot plus five Christmas hams drew people from across Camden. Saturday was a volunteer appreciation dinner thanking those who had carried the recent renovations. Sunday featured a large 10 a.m. Mass followed by a formal lunch in the parish hall, where tables were lined with black-and-white photographs and newspaper clippings tracing a century of Catholic life in Camden. A centennial logo was created for the occasion.
- Friday Dec. 8: Bingo night with $1,000 jackpot and 5 hams
- Saturday Dec. 9: Volunteer appreciation dinner
- Sunday Dec. 10: 10 a.m. centennial Mass and banquet
- Centennial logo designed by parishioners
Staff and Pastoral Team
St. Louis is served by a small but devoted team. Fr. Michael 'Mike' Johns is pastor of both St. Louis in Camden and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Magnolia. Ashley Valencia serves as parish secretary, and Maureen Zoerner — a Dublin, Ireland native who has been a parishioner for 45 years — coordinates the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). The Director of Religious Education position is currently vacant.
- Pastor: Fr. Michael Johns
- Secretary: Ashley Valencia
- OCIA Coordinator: Maureen Zoerner
- DRE: Vacant
Faith Formation and OCIA
Adults preparing to enter or complete their initiation in the Catholic Church are welcomed into the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), coordinated by Maureen Zoerner. The position of Director of Religious Education is currently vacant; sacramental preparation inquiries can be directed to the parish office during office hours.
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults
- Coordinator: Maureen Zoerner
- Office: Mon.–Thu., 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Parish Life and Community Outreach
Parish life at St. Louis is rooted in the rhythms of a small south-Arkansas town. Bingo is the parish's signature community event — held twice a month and open to the whole town, with jackpots and seasonal giveaways that draw players arriving 'with backpacks of bingo gear.' When the kitchen was remodeled, a parishioner cooked Thanksgiving turkeys for those with nowhere to go for the holiday — a tradition that continues. The 2023 centennial volunteer dinner recognized the many parishioners who contributed to the building's renewal.
- Monthly community bingo nights
- Thanksgiving turkey outreach
- Volunteer appreciation events
- Parish-led kitchen remodel enabling hospitality
Sacraments
St. Louis celebrates the Eucharist at its regular weekly schedule and on Holy Days. The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered before the Thursday evening Mass and before the Saturday Vigil Mass. Adults seeking baptism, confirmation or reception into full communion with the Catholic Church are guided through the OCIA process. The parish office can provide information about baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick and funeral arrangements.
- Eucharist – Sunday, Thursday, Saturday Vigil
- Reconciliation – Thursday and Saturday
- OCIA / adult initiation
- Inquiries: (870) 836-2426
Visiting and Contact
St. Louis Church sits at 202 N. Adams Avenue in Camden, the seat of Ouachita County. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and can be reached at (870) 836-2426 or [email protected]. A map and directions are available on the Diocese of Little Rock parish page.
- 202 N. Adams Ave., Camden, AR 71701
- Phone: (870) 836-2426
- Email: [email protected]
- Office: Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- Parish website: dolr.org/parishes/st-louis-church-camden
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. H.J. Heagneyarrived 1918; oversaw 1923 dedication
Missionary priest who led the building of the current St. Louis Church; dedicated by Bishop John B. Morris on Dec. 2, 1923.
- Fr. Michael (Mike) JohnsJanuary 2021 – present
Current pastor; also serves Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Magnolia. Led sanctuary, stained-glass, kitchen and hall renovations and the 2023 centennial celebration.