Located in Searcy Arkansas

Welcome to St. James Catholic Church

We welcome you to St. James Catholic Church. If you are new to this area or returning to the practice of our Catholic faith, we welcome you to our Parish. Please call the office so we can meet you. If you are a visitor, thank you for joining us.

New Member Form

Fill out this form and turn it into the parish office.

   St. James Mission Statement

St. James Parish is a Catholic family of God’s people devoted to the spiritual, moral, and material care of its members and others, in their journey with Christ. As members of God’s family, each is to use his or her gifts of time, talent, and treasure, individually and collectively, to create a welcoming environment of worship, to contribute to the spiritual and moral growth and education of each member of our family and welcome all who wish to join in our quest to be ever united as a family and with the blessed trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in holiness and eternal life. 

The History of St. James Catholic Church in Searcy, AR.

In 1928, there was no Catholic Church in Searcy, AR, and only two Catholics lived there: Mr. and Mrs. John L. Wrape. Mr. Wrape donated lots on East Race Street to build a church. The cornerstone was laid in 1928 with the financial aid of Rev. Matthew Soettle, OSB, John L. Wrape, The Extension Society, and Bishop John B. Morris. Father Matthew was Arkansas’s outstanding church builder at that time, and St. James was the last church he built. The cornerstone from that church is located in our vestibule.

In the early thirties, an amusing incident happened at St. James Church. The pastor from Little Rock, upon entering the church, noticed its emptiness and turned to Mr. John Wrape, asking, “Where is the congregation?” Mr. Wrape answered, “My brother will be here in a minute.”

For many years, the priest drove up from Little Rock to celebrate Mass. Later, the priests assigned to St. James lived at Morris School for Boys and served St. Richard in Bald Knob, St. James in Searcy, provided Mass at Heber Springs during the summer months, as well as fulfilling their duties at the boys’ school. The schedule was something like this: Mass at 6:00 a.m. at Morris School, and Mass at 12:30 p.m. at Heber Springs!

The parishioners purchased a ten-acre tract of land on Pioneer Road in 1960, which is the present site, and proceeded with plans to build a new, larger church. In August 1965, there were fifty-five families making up the congregation. Construction began on the new church in July 1966, and the first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Eve of that same year. The pastor continued to reside at Morris School until it was possible to provide a rectory at St. James.

Bishop Albert L. Fletcher dedicated the new church on February 28, 1967. A formal reception and dinner were held after the dedication at the Searcy Country Club.

In 2008, a new church sanctuary was built, attached to the old church building. Because the Diocese did not have an assigned bishop at that time, the new church was dedicated by acting Bishop Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, PA.