We are a community of faith, growing in love, dedicated to serving people
of every race, creed, age, origin and status. Please feel free to use any
of the many services and ministries of Immaculate Conception Parish.

You may have questions about your relationship with the Catholic Church,
about the beliefs and customs of the Church, or about what our Parish
does for its members and its community. We hope this web site helps you
to find some of the answers. We are also always open to helping you. You
are welcome to visit the office anytime. Please come join us.

Yours in Christ,

Richard Oswald

As others arrived in Fort Smith, Manning donated the land for the first church and caught the attention of the Bishop of Little Rock, the Reverend Andrew Byrne. Soon they completed the
little log church of Saint Patrick at the corner of what is now 3rd and North "D" Streets. Total
cost for the structure was $258.50. The Catholic burial ground was immediately north of the Church.

Fr. John Corry was the first pastor of the Parish. Fr. Peter W. Walsh succeeded him in
1847. Fr. John O¹Reilly and Fr. Philip Shanahan followed. Fr. Lawrence Smyth was pastor
from 1861 until 1908. Assisted by his brother, Michael, Fr. Lawrence oversaw dramatic growth
in the Parish. Swelled by the waves of immigrants fleeing the Irish famines of the 1840¹s, the Catholic Community in Fort Smith continued to grow. During his pastorate, the Parish acquired nearly a square mile of property on the site of old Fort Belknap. It was bounded by Dodson,
Greenwood, Grand and Towson Avenue. There was room for a school, convent, church,
cemetery and a hospital. The Sisters of Mercy had a close relationship with the Parish.
They arrived in 1853 and, through the years, started schools, tended to the wounded of the
Civil War, built hospitals and attended to the spiritual needs of the community.

St. Anne¹s Academy and St. Edward Mercy Medical Center were testimony to their spirit and courage.

When the little log church was no longer usable, the Parish moved into the old officers¹ quarters until a new church building could be erected in 1867. This building served the needs of the Parish until 1898 when it was demolished by a cyclone. Sometime during the period after the Civil War and the turn of the Century, the Parish was renamed "Immaculate Conception" but nobody knows exactly when.

The new church, which is still in use today, was completed in less than 18 months and was dedicated on June 1, 1899.

Adolphus Druiding of Chicago was the principal architect. Rudolph Metzger, an Immaculate Conception parishoner was the general contractor and furnished the woodwork. Thomas Long
was the contractor for the brickwork. The stained glass was produced by the F.X. Zettler Royal Bavarian Art Institute of Munich, Germany.

The Parish extensively refurbished the church in 1965 when a parishoner noticed serious
structural deterioration. Today, Immaculate Conception Parish is much more than a heritage
of brave clergy on the frontier and a collection of impressive structures and grounds.

It is a faith community of diverse ethnic cultures, combined to minister to the physical and
spiritual needs of the community and each other.

New Parishioners
We welcome you to our parish. Please register at the Church Office.

Interested in Becoming a Catholic?
Call or e-mail the Religious Education Office to learn how you can explore the Catholic Faith.

Questions about your standing with the Catholic Church?
Call or e-mail the church office to arrange a private meeting.

Marriages
Couples preparing for marriage must contact the Church Office for instructions and preparation at least SIX MONTHS before the wedding date.

Baptism
Infant baptism classes are held in two evening sessions every other month. These sessions are on Saturdays. Please call the Church office for the dates.

For adult baptism, please contact the Director of Religious Education at
783-7497 for further information.

Sick Calls
Emergency calls may be made at any time. Service for shut-ins may be arranged at the Church Office.

Arranging a Gift to Immaculate Conception
Our work is growing all the time. The physical needs of the poor, the aged, the ill and the dispossessed are growing all the time. You can help with money, time, or donations in kind. Contact the Parish Business Manager at 479.783.7970 for more information and help toward making this gift.

Holy Days

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God January 1

Solemnity of the Ascension Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary August 15

Solemnity of All Saints November 1

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception December 8

Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ December 25