About Sts. Sabina and Mary · Jenny Lind, Arkansas
Sts. Sabina and Mary Church is a Catholic mission parish in the small community of Jenny Lind, Sebastian County, Arkansas, located about six minutes south of Barling in the western River Valley. It belongs to the Diocese of Little Rock (West River Valley Deanery) and is administered and 'attended from' Sacred Heart of Mary Church in nearby Barling, sharing its priests, office staff, and faith-formation team. The mission offers Mass on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons, with confession thirty minutes before each Mass, giving Catholics in the rural Jenny Lind area a regular local place to worship while drawing on the broader ministries of Sacred Heart of Mary.
- Patron
- Sts. Sabina and Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Matthew Garrison
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock (West River Valley Deanery)
Why belong here
Sts. Sabina and Mary gives Catholics in the rural Jenny Lind community a local Mass schedule without the longer drive into Fort Smith or Van Buren. As a mission attended by Sacred Heart of Mary in Barling, parishioners benefit from a full parish staff — including a Director of Religious Education — and can plug into Sacred Heart's adult faith formation, Bible studies, youth programs, Knights of Columbus council, seniors' group, food ministry to Hope Campus, and Heart2Heart Pregnancy Support Center. The small setting is ideal for families and anyone seeking a quiet, close-knit Catholic community in the Arkansas River Valley.
Mass times at Sts. Sabina and Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 – 3:55 p.m. (30 minutes before Mass, ending 5 minutes prior)
- Wednesday 5:00 – 5:25 p.m. (30 minutes before Mass, ending 5 minutes prior)
- By appointment — call (479) 452-1795 or email [email protected]
About Sts. Sabina and Mary
Sts. Sabina and Mary is a Catholic mission parish in the rural community of Jenny Lind, Sebastian County, Arkansas, in the western part of the state near Fort Smith. It is part of the Diocese of Little Rock's West River Valley Deanery and is 'attended from' Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Barling, meaning it shares its pastor and associate pastor with that parish rather than having resident clergy. The mission sits about six minutes (roughly nine miles) south of Barling and serves Catholics in the Jenny Lind area who would otherwise have to drive into Fort Smith or Van Buren for daily and weekend Mass.
- Parish type: Mission (not an independent parish)
- Deanery: West River Valley
- County: Sebastian County, Arkansas
- Nearest larger Catholic parish: Sacred Heart of Mary, Barling
History
Jenny Lind has had a Catholic mission presence for well over a century. The 1911 Diocese of Little Rock parish directory, republished by Arkansas Catholic, lists Jenny Lind as a mission of St. Stanislaus Church in Bonanza, alongside the missions of Huntington and Hartford. By 1947 the mission at Jenny Lind was being cared for from St. Michael's Church in Van Buren — a contemporary account of the founding of the Waldron parish notes that 'Rev. Fr. Joseph Doyle, pastor of St. Michael's Church in Van Buren, Arkansas and who had missions at Jenny Lind and Hartford was assigned to conduct Mass at Waldron once a month.' The mission is now administered from Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Barling.
- 1911: Listed as a mission of St. Stanislaus, Bonanza
- 1947: Served as a mission of St. Michael's, Van Buren (Fr. Joseph Doyle)
- Today: Attended from Sacred Heart of Mary, Barling
Clergy & Staff
Because the mission is attended from Sacred Heart of Mary in Barling, it shares its clergy and parish staff with that parish. The pastor is Fr. Matthew Garrison, who also pastors Sacred Heart of Mary. The associate pastor is Fr. Tuyen Ngoc Do, who is also fluent in Vietnamese. Office, finance, and religious-education staff are likewise based in Barling and serve both parishes.
- Pastor: Fr. Matthew Garrison — birthday Sept. 29, ordained May 29, 2004
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Tuyen Ngoc Do — birthday Feb. 4, ordained May 26, 2018 (fluent in Vietnamese; appointed to Sacred Heart of Mary and Sts. Sabina and Mary on April 5, 2024)
- Office Manager: Janice Locknar
- Finance Manager: Kathleen Sweeney
- Director of Religious Education: Constance Elmore
- Director of Religious Education: Tammy Predmore
Ministries & Faith Formation
Sts. Sabina and Mary parishioners participate in the ministries and activities of Sacred Heart of Mary in Barling. Arkansas Catholic reported in March 2026 that the combined parish offers a broad slate of formation, service, and fellowship programs, and that 'Sts. Sabina and Mary parishioners in Jenny Lind … also participate in Sacred Heart of Mary ministries and activities.' Religious education for children is coordinated through the shared Director of Religious Education office.
- Adult faith formation classes
- Bible studies
- Youth and young adult programs
- Knights of Columbus council
- Seniors' group
- Line dancing classes
- Food ministry to Hope Campus
- Heart2Heart Pregnancy Support Center
- Religious Education / CCD (Constance Elmore and Tammy Predmore, DREs)
Sacraments
Reconciliation (confession) is offered on site at the mission about 30 minutes before each Mass, or by appointment with Fr. Matt Garrison. Other sacraments — including baptism, marriage, first Communion, confirmation, and anointing of the sick — are coordinated through the Sacred Heart of Mary parish office in Barling, which serves as the administrative center for the mission.
- Confession: Sat. 3:30–3:55 p.m., Wed. 5:00–5:25 p.m., or by appointment
- Baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick: contact the Barling parish office at (479) 452-1795
Visit, Contact & Location
Sts. Sabina and Mary is located on Old Jenny Lind Loop in Jenny Lind, about six minutes south of Barling. The mailing address is the Sacred Heart of Mary parish office in Barling, where all administrative calls and emails are handled. A map and directions are available through the DOLR parish page for the mission.
- Physical address: 14304 Old Jenny Lind Loop, Jenny Lind, AR
- Mailing address: 1301 Frank St., Barling, AR 72923
- Phone: (479) 452-1795
- General email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Associate pastor email: [email protected]
- Diocese listing with map & directions: dolr.org/parishes/sts-sabina-and-mary-church-jenny-lind
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Doylethrough at least 1947
Pastor of St. Michael's Church in Van Buren who had missions at Jenny Lind and Hartford (per Waldron parish history account).