About St. Mark · Monticello, Arkansas
St. Mark Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in Monticello, Arkansas, in the South Delta Deanery of the Diocese of Little Rock. Founded in 1983 by the Glenmary Home Missioners, it serves about 120 families across southeastern Arkansas and shares pastoral ministry with Holy Child of Jesus Church in Dumas and St. Mary Church in McGehee. The parish is known for its welcoming character, a recently completed columbarium on its grounds, and new stained-glass windows installed in 2025 depicting the life of Christ and a diverse array of saints.
- Established
- 1983
- Patron
- St. Mark
- Rector
- Fr. Daniel Wendel
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (South Delta Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mark offers the warmth of a small, close-knit Catholic community of about 120 families in southeastern Arkansas, with daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and a robust religious-education program for children. The parish reaches beyond Monticello through its shared mission with Holy Child of Jesus in Dumas and St. Mary in McGehee, including a weekly Spanish Mass at Holy Child, and offers First Saturday devotions, a Columbianarium for cremated remains, and recently completed stained-glass windows depicting a culturally diverse communion of saints — a fitting symbol of the parish's inclusive, family feel.
Mass times at St. Mark
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
- First Saturday 9:30 a.m. (St. Mark's, Monticello)
Adoration times
- Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. (St. Mark's, Monticello, combined with Confession)
- Thursday 6:00 p.m. (Holy Child of Jesus, Dumas) followed by 7:00 p.m. Spanish Mass
History of St. Mark Parish
St. Mark Parish was formally established on August 24, 1983, the same year Monticello received its first resident Catholic priest. The parish was founded by the Glenmary Home Missioners, a religious order founded in 1939 to bring the Catholic faith to underserved rural America. Its earliest worship space was a remodeled building on West Oakland Street before the parish moved in 1986 to its present North Hyatt site. A 1996–97 education wing served the growing community, and by the early 2000s the parish had grown enough to commission a larger church building — dedicated in 2008 by Bishop Anthony Taylor — which remains the current worship space.
- Founded August 24, 1983 by the Glenmary Home Missioners
- First worship space: remodeled building on West Oakland Street
- Moved to 1016 N. Hyatt Street in 1986
- Education wing built 1996–97
- Current church dedicated in 2008 by Bishop Anthony Taylor
- Turned over from Glenmary to the Diocese of Little Rock by 2006
- Today serves about 120 families
Glenmary's Legacy at St. Mark
Glenmary Home Missioners, founded in 1939, established and sustained the Catholic presence in Monticello through multiple generations of priests, brothers and missionaries until the parish was incorporated into the Diocese of Little Rock. Two of St. Mark's Glenmary pastors — Fathers Dan Dorsey and Chet Artysiewicz — went on to serve as presidents of the Glenmary order itself. Father Dorsey helped secure the original St. Mark church and educational facility, while Father Artysiewicz was the driving force behind the fundraising and construction of today's larger church.
- Glenmary Home Missioners founded 1939
- Father Dan Dorsey (1991–1999) helped secure original church and education wing
- Father Chet Artysiewicz (2000–2006) led fundraising for current church
- Both Dorsey and Artysiewicz later served as Glenmary order presidents
Priests of St. Mark Parish
The parish website publishes a roster of priests who have served St. Mark since its founding, beginning with the Glenmary era and continuing under diocesan clergy.
- Father Vic Subbs, Glenmary (1987–1989)
- Father Dan Dorsey, Glenmary (1991–1999)
- Father Chet Artysiewicz, Glenmary (2000–2006)
- Father Phillip Reaves, DOLR (2006–2010)
- Father Pius Ajunwa Iwu, DOLR (2010–2011)
- Father Rajasekhar Chappidi, DOLR (2011–2013)
- Father Mark Abban, DOLR (2013–2025)
- Father Alphonse Gollapalli, DOLR (2025– )
Who We Are (Parish Staff)
The parish's Who We Are page lists its current pastor and key staff, and notes that the pastor is shared with sister missions in Dumas and McGehee.
- Fr. Daniel Wendel — Pastor (serves St. Mark Monticello, Holy Child of Jesus Dumas, St. Mary McGehee)
- Best way to reach Fr. Wendel: St. Mark Church office, (870) 367-2848
- Denise Adams — Secretary, St. Mark Church
- Patty Mitchell — Choir Director
- Melissa Prince — Director of Religious Education ([email protected], 870-723-8083)
Mass & Service Schedule
The parish publishes a combined schedule covering its three linked churches in Monticello, Dumas and McGehee. Confession and Eucharistic Adoration are offered before Sunday Mass at St. Mark's, and there is a Spanish-language Mass at Holy Child of Jesus in Dumas each Thursday.
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 a.m. (St. Mark's, Monticello)
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday — 5:30 p.m. (St. Mark's)
- First Saturday — 9:30 a.m. Confessions, 10:00 a.m. Rosary, 10:30 a.m. Mass (St. Mark's)
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 p.m. (St. Mary's, McGehee)
- Thursday — 6:00 p.m. Adoration, 7:00 p.m. Spanish Mass (Holy Child of Jesus, Dumas)
- Sunday — Rosary 11:00 a.m., Mass 11:30 a.m. (Holy Childhood, Dumas)
- Confession: Sunday 8:00–8:45 a.m. (St. Mark's); First Saturday 9:30 a.m.
- Adoration: Sunday 8:00–8:45 a.m. (St. Mark's); Thursday 6:00 p.m. (Dumas)
First Saturday Devotion
St. Mark's observes the First Saturday Devotion each month with a structured morning of confession, rosary, and Mass, in keeping with the traditional devotion of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- 9:30 a.m. Confessions
- 10:00 a.m. Rosary
- 10:30 a.m. Mass
CCD (Religious Education)
Faith formation at St. Mark is run by Director of Religious Education Melissa Prince. CCD meets at St. Mark on Wednesdays during the school year (6:15–7:15 p.m.) and at Holy Child in Dumas on Sundays during the school year (9:30 a.m.). The program serves children entering 1st grade through high school, using the Loyola Press 'Christ Our Life' curriculum along with 'Blessed' (Dynamic Catholic) for First Communion preparation and 'Decision Point' (Dynamic Catholic) for Confirmation preparation.
- Director of Religious Education: Melissa Prince ([email protected], 870-723-8083)
- St. Mark CCD: Wednesdays 6:15–7:15 p.m. during the school year
- Holy Child (Dumas) CCD: Sundays 9:30 a.m. during the school year
- Curriculum: Christ Our Life (Loyola Press)
- First Communion prep: Blessed (Dynamic Catholic)
- Confirmation prep: Decision Point (Dynamic Catholic)
Sacraments
The parish offers the standard Catholic sacraments and encourages parishioners to contact the parish office and priest for sacramental preparation, including funerals and inurnment at the parish columbarium.
- Sunday and weekday Masses
- Confession (Sunday before Mass; First Saturday)
- Eucharistic Adoration
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation through CCD
- Contact Father for the Holy Sacraments (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick)
- Order of Christian Funerals and inurnment at the parish columbarium
Parish Columbarium
Completed in March 2022, the parish's columbarium offers 92 niches of black granite and natural stone for the inurnment of cremated remains, accompanied by an altar for committal services and stone benches in a landscaped setting. Each niche is $600 with $250 engraving for the columbarium plaque. The project was championed for nearly two decades by parishioner Sara Hartness, who brought the idea back from a friend's funeral in Detroit. Two inurnments had taken place by spring 2022, with the parish noting the potential for expansion.
- Completed March 2022
- 92 niches of black granite and natural stone
- Includes altar for committal services and stone benches
- $600 per niche, $250 for plaque engraving (per parish secretary Denise Adams)
Architecture: New Stained-Glass Windows (2025)
Long-awaited stained-glass windows were installed in 2025 — 17 years after the church was first dedicated — by Soos Stained Glass of North Little Rock. Originally quoted around $150,000, the project came in closer to $85,000, with parishioners donating roughly $37,000 to dedicate altar-side windows to loved ones. Saints depicted were deliberately chosen for ethnic and cultural breadth so every parishioner would find themselves represented.
- Installed March 2025 by Soos Stained Glass (North Little Rock)
- Six large windows on each side of the altar, plus two circular upper windows (dove and chalice with Eucharist)
- Window saints include: Holy Family, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Michael, St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Benedict, St. Pedro Calungsod, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul, St. Joseph, St. Christopher, St. Edward, St. Francis, St. Catherine of Siena
Find Us / Contact
The parish can be reached by phone, email, or in person during office hours. The rectory address differs from the church address.
- Church address: 1016 N. Hyatt Street, Monticello, AR 71655
- Rectory address: 452 W. Jefferson St., Monticello, AR 71655
- Phone: (870) 367-2848
- Office email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- DRE contact: [email protected] / (870) 723-8083
Sister Churches in the South Delta Deanery
St. Mark shares pastoral ministry with two other small Catholic communities in the South Delta Deanery of the Diocese of Little Rock.
- Holy Child of Jesus Catholic Church — Dumas, AR (Thursday Spanish Mass, Sunday Mass)
- St. Mary Catholic Church — McGehee, AR (Saturday Vigil Mass)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Vic Subbs, Glenmary1987–1989
- Father Dan Dorsey, Glenmary1991–1999
Helped secure the original St. Mark Church and educational facility; later served as president of the Glenmary order.
- Father Chet Artysiewicz, Glenmary2000–2006
Driving force behind the fundraising and construction of the current church; later also served as Glenmary president; last Glenmary pastor.
- Father Phillip Reaves, DOLR2006–2010
- Father Pius Ajunwa Iwu, DOLR2010–2011
- Father Rajasekhar Chappidi, DOLR2011–2013
- Father Mark Abban, DOLR2013–2025
Led the parish during construction of the columbarium (completed March 2022).
- Father Alphonse Gollapalli, DOLR2025–