About St. Theresa · Little Rock, Arkansas
St. Theresa Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in the Geyer Springs / Baseline Road area of southwest Little Rock, Arkansas, belonging to the Diocese of Little Rock (Central Deanery). The parish was begun in 1947 as a mission of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, became a full parish in 1954, and today shares a campus with St. Theresa Catholic School (PreK3–8). It is a notably multicultural community: the Sunday schedule alone includes one English Mass and four Spanish Masses, and the parish's growth in its Latino population has shaped its ministry in recent years.
- Established
- 1947 (mission); 1954 (parish)
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower)
- Rector
- Fr. Stephen Gadberry
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (Central Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Theresa offers one of the most welcoming bilingual Catholic communities in central Arkansas, with daily Mass in both English and Spanish, Friday Eucharistic Adoration from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and a robust faith formation program for children and youth. Families can send their children to the on-site St. Theresa Catholic School (PreK3 through 8th grade), a parish school rooted in the 'Little Way' of St. Thérèse of Lisieux under the motto 'Spirit – Teaching – Service.' With ministries for every age, a Youth Group, and a deeply multicultural identity, it is a parish where Hispanic and English-speaking families worship, learn, and serve side by side.
Mass times at St. Theresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00–6:00 PM
- Wednesday 5:00–6:00 PM
- Thursday 5:00–6:00 PM
- Friday 5:00–6:00 PM
- Saturday 2:30–3:30 PM
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Parish History
St. Theresa began in 1947 as a Catholic mission in the Geyer Springs district of southwest Little Rock, when three local families donated land and the first combination church-hall was completed in April 1951. Attached initially to the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, the mission grew rapidly with the surrounding neighborhood and was elevated to a full parish in 1954. Over the following decades the parish built a rectory, a new church (1972) following the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, a parish center (2001), and Little Flower Hall (2018, the renovated old gym).
- 1947 – Three founding families donate land in Geyer Springs
- April 1951 – First church/hall building completed
- 1954 – Elevated from mission to full parish
- 1959 – St. Theresa Catholic School opens
- 1972 – Current church and rectory constructed (post-Vatican II)
- 1996 – Church remodeled
- 2001 – New parish center completed
- 2018 – Gym renovated and renamed Little Flower Hall
St. Theresa Catholic School
St. Theresa Catholic School opened in 1959 in the former parish hall, with two classrooms, the kitchen and the cafeteria, taught by Benedictine Sisters housed in an on-site convent. It has grown steadily over the decades, expanding in the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s to serve a wider community. Today it serves students from PreK3 through 8th grade under the motto 'Spirit – Teaching – Service,' inspired by the spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her 'Little Way.' Enrollment has grown from roughly 150 to 245 students under Pastor Fr. Stephen Gadberry, with a notably expanding Latino population.
- PreK3 through 8th grade
- Parish school of the Diocese of Little Rock
- Motto: 'Spirit – Teaching – Service'
- Original mission: 'to teach and serve in the spirit of Jesus Christ'
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Stephen Gadberry as pastor, supported by an associate pastor and two deacons. A bilingual office and formation team serves both the parish and the school.
- Pastor: Fr. Stephen Gadberry ([email protected])
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Joel C. Ibebuike
- Deacon Juan Mares
- Deacon Robert Ward
- Parish Secretary: Bianca Guido ([email protected])
- Bookkeeper: Kim Moore ([email protected])
- Receptionist: Citlali Garcia ([email protected])
- Office Assistant: Yoana Torres ([email protected])
- Faith Formation Director: Karen Aragon ([email protected])
- Youth Group Coordinator / Marketing: Edgar Aranda ([email protected])
- Maintenance: Carlos Hernandez
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation at St. Theresa is directed by Karen Aragon and serves the parish's children and families, preparing them for the sacraments and accompanying them in the Catholic faith. Youth ministry is coordinated by Edgar Aranda, who also assists with parish marketing and communications.
- Faith Formation for parish children
- Youth Group for parish teens
- Bilingual sacramental preparation
Patroness: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
The parish takes its name from St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897), the French Carmelite nun known as 'The Little Flower' and declared a Doctor of the Church. Her spirituality of 'The Little Way' — offering every thought, word and action to the Lord — is woven into the parish's identity and explicitly into the culture of St. Theresa School. The parish's old gym was renamed 'Little Flower Hall' in 2018 in her honor. Her feast day is celebrated on October 1.
- Patroness: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church
- Spirituality: 'The Little Way'
- Feast day: October 1
- Little Flower Hall named in her honor (2018)
Contact & Visit
St. Theresa Catholic Church is located at 6219 Baseline Road in southwest Little Rock, in the Diocese of Little Rock's Central Deanery. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and the parish secretary can be reached by phone or email for sacramental inquiries, Mass intentions, registration, and general information.
- Address: 6219 Baseline Rd., Little Rock, AR 72209
- Phone: (501) 565-9198
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stclr.org/
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Stephen Gadberry2022–present
Joined St. Theresa as pastor in 2022; leads the parish-school community and is credited with helping transform the school and parish into 'truly one community.'