History

The history of St. Theresa Church, located in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a rich one, rooted in the hearts of its founding members and in basic belief that with hard work anything can be accomplished. In 1947, lands were donated by three families for the purpose of establishing a Catholic Mission church in the Geyer Springs district of Little Rock.

The first church building, a combination church and hall, was completed in April 1951. Saint Theresa Mission Church was attached to the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, and continued to grow. In 1954, it was no longer a mission, but a full-fledged parish.

That same year, money was donated to begin building a rectory. A parish hall was later built to accommodate the growing parish’s need for socials and other events, but soon became the new church building as the area boomed.

Saint Theresa School began in 1959 in the former parish hall, in two classrooms, the kitchen and the cafeteria. A convent was built to house the Benedictine Sisters who came to staff the school at its inception. In 1961, part of the present school building was constructed with four classrooms. This led to the parish hall becoming the new church building, and the former church building becoming the cafeteria and parish hall. A second unit was added in 1963.

In 1972, construction of the new church and rectory began, a custom-built structure that followed the requirements Vatican Council II put into effect. In the 1980s, the school was expanded to accommodate the growing enrollment. In the 1990s, another school addition was completed to allow for more classes per grade. The church was remodeled in 1996. The new parish center was completed in 2001. The old gym was renovated in 2018 and renamed to Little Flower Hall.