About St. Mary · Helena, Arkansas
St. Mary Church is a historic Catholic parish in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, in the North Delta Deanery of the Diocese of Little Rock. Its present sanctuary, dedicated on May 3, 1936, was designed by Charles Eames (with partner Robert Walsh) and is one of the most architecturally significant small-town churches in the American South — listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007. The parish today is served by Spiritan (Holy Ghost Father) priests and ministers to Catholics across Phillips County, with the pastor also attending St. Andrew (Marianna), St. Francis of Assisi (Forrest City), St. John the Baptist (Brinkley), and St. Mary of the Lake (Horseshoe Lake).
- Established
- 1858
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Honest Munishi, C.S.Sp. (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (North Delta Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary is the spiritual home of the small but historically deep Catholic community of the Arkansas Delta, with daily and Sunday Mass, Thursday adoration, and the sacrament of reconciliation before Sunday Mass — a rhythm rare for a parish of its size. It is also a piece of living American design history: worshipping here means praying inside one of Charles Eames's earliest commissions. The pastor and associate pastor, both Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers), also travel to minister to four neighboring missions in Phillips and surrounding counties, so the parish sits at the heart of a wider regional Catholic family.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30 – 9:45 a.m.
Adoration times
- Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon (before noon Mass)
History of St. Mary Parish, Helena
Catholic life in Helena goes back to the early 19th-century Lazarist missionary era. The first Catholic church was a log building erected before 1850; it was burned by Know Nothings in 1854 and replaced by a wood-frame church in 1856. Helena got its first resident priest, Rev. Patrick Behan, on July 18, 1858, appointed by Arkansas's first bishop, Andrew Byrne. The parish grew with Irish American immigration, and in 1857–58 the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth arrived to open a school that would become Sacred Heart Academy. That school sits on land that, after the buildings were razed in 1973, was donated back to the parish and now serves as its parking lot.
- First log church: before 1850
- First church burned by Know Nothings: 1854
- Frame replacement church: 1856
- First resident priest: Rev. Patrick Behan, appointed July 18, 1858 by Bishop Andrew Byrne
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth arrive: 1857–58; Sacred Heart Academy reopened 1879
- Brick church built along Columbia Street: 1888–1889
- School moved to a new building: 1918
- Boarding school closed: 1950s; day school closed 1968
- School building razed; Sisters donate land to parish: 1973
Building the Present Church (1933–1936)
Around 1933, pastor Father Thomas Martin began planning and raising money for a larger sanctuary to replace the 1889 brick church. In July 1934 the architectural plans were approved, and the new church was completed and dedicated by Bishop John Morris on May 3, 1936. The project was designed by Charles Eames and his partner Robert Walsh, who had also designed St. Mary's in Paragould, Arkansas. The Kesl family — members of the congregation and local builders — handled much of the construction.
- Pastor and driving force: Fr. Thomas Martin
- Plans approved: July 1934
- Dedication: May 3, 1936, by Bishop John Morris
- Architects: Charles Eames & Robert Walsh (St. Louis / Arkansas)
Architecture & Art of the Church
Eames designed St. Mary's in a Late Gothic Revival style — brick, painted dusky rose — but stripped of ornament in a way he felt echoed early Christian basilicas. Pointed-arch windows, buttresses, and a steeple recall Middle European church traditions. The nave is flanked by Emil Frei stained-glass windows; above the front entrance is a Madonna and Child statue by Caroline Risque Janis of St. Louis. Behind the sanctuary, artist Charles F. Quest painted a large earth-toned mural inspired by Byzantine art. Eames and Walsh designed the wooden pews, communion rail, pulpit, vestments, and the distinctive brass hanging lamps shaped as dark globes — light fixtures whose moon/sun/star motifs illustrate Catholic theology. The pews may have been Eames's first experience designing furniture in volume.
- Style: Late Gothic Revival / stripped basilica form
- Stained-glass windows: Emil Frei, St. Louis
- Madonna and Child statue: Caroline Risque Janis, St. Louis
- Sanctuary mural: Charles F. Quest (Byzantine-inspired, earth tones)
- Brass hanging lamps and light fixtures: Charles Eames
- Pews, communion rail, pulpit, vestments: designed by Eames & Walsh
- Construction: largely by the Kesl family (parishioners and local builders)
- NRHP listing: January 24, 2007 (NRHP #06001278)
The Eames Connection
St. Mary's was a turning point in Charles Eames's career. The young architect, then working in St. Louis, designed the church at the request of Fr. Thomas Martin with his partner Robert Walsh. An Architectural Forum write-up of the project caught the attention of the Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen, who sent Eames a congratulatory letter and offered him a fellowship at Cranbrook Academy of Art — the stepping stone to Eames becoming one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. The pews may have been his first piece of furniture produced in any quantity.
- Architectural Forum write-up drew Eliel Saarinen's attention
- Led to fellowship at Cranbrook Academy of Art
- Same Eames & Walsh team designed St. Mary's, Paragould, AR
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by the Spiritans (Congregation of the Holy Ghost), whose U.S. Province is based in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The administrator, Fr. Honest Munishi, C.S.Sp., also serves as Vocation Director for the Spiritan Fathers in the United States; the associate pastor is Fr. Peter Ocholi Okolo, C.S.Sp. Lay staff include secretary Mona Gregory and Director of Religious Education Holly Peters.
- Administrator: Fr. Honest Munishi, C.S.Sp.
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Peter Ocholi Okolo, C.S.Sp.
- Secretary: Mona Gregory
- DRE: Holly Peters
- Religious order: Spiritans (Congregation of the Holy Ghost / Holy Ghost Fathers)
Parish Office & Practical Info
Parish business is handled from 123 Columbia Street, Helena, Arkansas 72342. Office hours are limited — Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; the office is closed Mondays and weekends. The parish phone line is (870) 338-6990, and the email contact is [email protected].
- Address: 123 Columbia St., Helena, AR 72342
- Phone: (870) 338-6990
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tue/Wed/Fri 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Thu 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Also Attended from St. Mary
Because the Arkansas Delta is sparsely populated, the pastor and associate pastor at St. Mary also travel to four nearby mission churches in the North Delta Deanery. Together these form a single pastoral family centered on Helena.
- St. Andrew Church — Marianna, AR
- St. Francis of Assisi Church — Forrest City, AR
- St. John the Baptist Church — Brinkley, AR
- St. Mary of the Lake Church — Horseshoe Lake, AR
Sacred Heart Academy & the School Sisters
Catholic education in Helena has been central to the parish since 1857–58, when Bishop Andrew Byrne purchased ten acres (including the former Henry Biscoe house) and invited the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to open a convent and school. Reopened in 1879 as Sacred Heart Academy, the school served the parish and the wider community for nearly a century, including acting as a hospital for both Union and Confederate wounded during the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863. The boarding school closed in the 1950s and the day school in 1968; the school building was razed in 1973 and the land returned to the parish, where it now serves as the parking lot.
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth arrived 1857–58
- Battle of Helena, July 4, 1863: school used as hospital
- School reopened 1879 as Sacred Heart Academy
- Closed: 1950s (boarding), 1968 (day school)
- Building razed 1973; land donated back to the parish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Behan1858–
Appointed by Bishop Andrew Byrne on July 18, 1858, as Helena's first resident parish priest.
- Fr. Thomas Martinc. 1933–1936
Pastor who initiated plans and fundraising for the present church; the Eames/Walsh design was built under his direction and dedicated by Bishop John Morris on May 3, 1936.