About St. Mary · North Little Rock, Arkansas
St. Mary Church is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in North Little Rock, Arkansas, located in the historic Argenta neighborhood at 1516 Parker Street. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Little Rock and is currently served by Fr. Victor Rubén Quinteros. St. Mary is notable across the Diocese of Little Rock as the home of the monthly Deaf Mass celebrated in American Sign Language (First Saturdays at 4 p.m.) and a weekly ASL-interpreted Sunday Mass, making it a regional hub for deaf and hard-of-hearing Catholics. The parish also partners with neighboring Immaculate Heart of Mary (Marche) to run North Little Rock Catholic Academy (PreK3–8), the merged Catholic school formed from the historic St. Mary and St. Patrick schools.
- Established
- 1896
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Victor Rubén Quinteros
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (Central Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary is one of the most linguistically welcoming parishes in central Arkansas: every Sunday offers an English Mass (with ASL interpretation), and there is a Spanish Mass Sunday afternoon and Wednesday evening, plus a diocesan-wide Deaf Mass in American Sign Language on the first Saturday of each month. The parish is also home to a historic Catholic grade school — North Little Rock Catholic Academy — where children of the parish and the wider community receive a PreK3–8 Catholic education rooted in the traditions of two founding parishes. With weekday Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, regular Reconciliation, and a long history of serving working-class families in Argenta, St. Mary is a small but lively parish where newcomers of any language background are quickly folded in.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:00 p.m. (before the 7:30 p.m. Spanish Mass)
- By appointment (Spanish: by appointment; call the parish office at (501) 374-7123)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 2:00 – 7:30 p.m. (during the school year)
- Wednesday 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. (summer)
About St. Mary Church
St. Mary Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Little Rock, located at 1516 Parker Street in the Argenta district of North Little Rock, Arkansas. The parish traces its roots to the Polish Catholic community that settled in Argenta to work for the railroad in the late 1800s, and has grown into a multilingual community serving English-, Spanish-, and ASL-speaking Catholics today. It is currently pastored by Fr. Víctor Rubén Quinteros.
- Parish name: St. Mary Church
- Location: Argenta / North Little Rock, Pulaski County
- Diocese: Little Rock (Central Deanery)
- Pastor: Fr. Víctor Rubén Quinteros
History
St. Mary was founded in the late 19th century to serve Polish immigrants working on the railroad in Argenta. The parish school opened in 1896 (one year after neighboring St. Patrick's) and was originally staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. In 2007 the school merged with St. Patrick to form North Little Rock Catholic Academy — the first Catholic school merger in Arkansas — and St. Mary's original building now houses the lower-school campus. The parish itself has continued as a stand-alone worship site, increasingly bilingual, and now also serves as the home of the diocese's Deaf Apostolate.
- Founded circa 1896 as a Polish parish
- Listed in 1911 Catholic Directory as 'St. Mary (Argenta) (Polish)'
- 2007: merger of St. Mary School and St. Patrick School into North Little Rock Catholic Academy
Deaf Apostolate & ASL Ministry
St. Mary is the home of the Diocese of Little Rock's deaf and hard-of-hearing Catholic ministry. A Deaf Mass celebrated entirely in American Sign Language is offered on the first Saturday of each month at 4:00 p.m. (immediately following the regular vigil Mass, which begins with the spoken English liturgy). On the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Sundays of each month, the 10:00 a.m. English Mass is interpreted live into ASL for the deaf community. The diocese's 'Here to Help' directory specifically lists St. Mary as the contact parish for these services.
- Deaf Mass (ASL) — 1st Saturday, 4:00 p.m.
- ASL-interpreted Mass — Sundays 10:00 a.m. (2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays)
- Contact: parish office (501) 374-7123
Parish School — North Little Rock Catholic Academy
St. Mary's parish school merged with neighboring St. Patrick School in 2007 to form North Little Rock Catholic Academy (NLRCA), a PreK3 through 8th-grade Catholic school. The 'west campus' on Parker Street — the former St. Mary School — houses pre-kindergarten through 5th grade; the 'east campus' (the former St. Patrick School) houses grades 6–8. The academy is financially independent but remains a mission of both parishes. Denise Troutman, who had been a teacher, volunteer, and principal at St. Mary School since the late 1960s, served as principal for 30 years before retiring in May 2024; her daughter Melody Sharp became the new principal.
- NLRCA West Campus (former St. Mary School): 1518 Parker St., North Little Rock, AR 72114
- Grades served: PreK3 – 8
- Phone: (501) 374-5237
- Principal: Melody Sharp
- Originally staffed by the Sisters of Mercy
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Mary runs parallel English- and Spanish-language religious education programs for parish children and adults. The English program is directed by Denise Troutman, who also serves as Coordinator of Religious Education (C/DRE). The Spanish Catecismo is directed by two members of the Sisters of the Mission of the Catechists of the Poor (MCP): Sr. María Guadalupe Flores Echávarri, MCP and Sr. Maria Natividad Vazquez, MCP. Sacramental preparation is coordinated through Veronica Vasquez, the parish Sacramental Secretary.
- English C/DRE: Denise Troutman
- Spanish C/DRE: Sr. María Guadalupe Flores Echávarri, MCP
- Spanish C/DRE: Sr. Maria Natividad Vazquez, MCP
- Sacramental Secretary: Veronica Vasquez ([email protected])
Parish Staff
St. Mary is served by a small staff led by its pastor. The parish secretary, sacramental secretary, facilities manager, bookkeeper, religious education directors, and choir director together keep the parish's liturgical, sacramental, and administrative life running.
- Pastor: Fr. Víctor Rubén Quinteros
- Secretary: Melisa Ventura ([email protected])
- Sacramental Secretary: Veronica Vasquez ([email protected])
- Facilities Manager: Mark Curley
- Bookkeeper: Mary Murry
- C/DRE (English): Denise Troutman
- C/DRE (Spanish): Sr. María Guadalupe Flores Echávarri, MCP & Sr. Maria Natividad Vazquez, MCP
- Choir Director: Al Espinda
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Mary is directed by choir director Al Espinda, supporting the parish's bilingual and trilingual worship life (English, Spanish, and ASL).
- Choir Director: Al Espinda
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Warren Harveycirca 2007
Pastor of St. Mary at the time of the 2007 St. Mary/St. Patrick school merger into NLRCA.
- Fr. Victor Rubén Quinterospresent
Current pastor of St. Mary (and of neighboring Immaculate Heart of Mary).