TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Sacred Heart Catholic Church ESTABLISHED 1874
church in Fouke, Arkansas, the sanctuary was restored in just a few months. On August 13, 2023, St. James AME Church celebrated its 150th anniversary, marking a century and a half of unwavering faith and community service. Standing firm for 150 years means surviving the Great Depression, two world wars, The Spanish Flu and COVID-19, The Civil Rights Movement, and many of their own personal trials as a local body. Through all of that and more, St. James AME Church has remained faithful. “These are family-orientated members whose legacy goes back very far. They have stayed on the battlefield on which their ancestors stood,” said Reverend Ross. “It’s their connection with the Holy Spirit as He leads them and their faithfulness to being obedient to His Word.” As the congregation looks toward the future, they continue to honor their past while embracing new opportunities for growth and spiritual enrichment. “Today, our most significant impact comes from accepting how to change and adapt to the Millennial and Gen Z generations and being able to hear their needs and learn from them to help us help them,” Reverend Ross said. It is a task the church takes seriously. Through every challenge and every milestone, St. James AME Church stands as a testament to faith, perseverance, and the enduring strength of its members. “We are a church under God’s leadership, under God’s care, and under God’s love for His people.”
The sanctuary of Sacred Heart in Texarkana, Texas, features a crucifix above the altar, a powerful symbol of sacrifice and redemption. The richly adorned altar stands as the heart of worship, inviting prayer and reflection.
T his year marks a significant milestone for Sacred Heart Catholic Church as it celebrates 150 years of faith and service in Texarkana. The journey began in the early 1870s when a determined French missionary priest, Father Theodore Buffard, embarked on a journey across Northeast Texas. With a Mass kit and vestments (liturgical garments) in his saddlebags, he set out from Galveston toward the rapidly growing town of Texarkana, with his heart set on ministry to the Catholic population of the area. It was here, in a small building where the old McCartney Hotel now stands, that Buffard celebrated the very first Mass for what would become Sacred Heart Catholic Church. According to the church’s current pastor, Father Justin Braun, “The Church’s mission has always been the same—to make disciples of all nations, (Matthew 28:19). The nature of the Church is essentially missionary—to go out and bring all of God’s people into the loving relationship the Father in Heaven desires to have with us through His Son Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Father Braun explained, “The early history of the church in Texarkana is tied to the ethnic immigrants who came to this part of the state to work in the railroad, oil and gas, and manufacturing industries that were vital to putting Texarkana and Bowie County on the map. In order to serve the various needs of the Italian, Irish, French, and Lebanese immigrants who came here and wanted to practice their faith, the parish focused on meeting the immediate material and spiritual needs of the people who were coming to Mass.” In 1874, the first church building was constructed at the corner of Third and Spruce Streets. The church, notable for being the first brick structure in Texarkana, welcomed its congregants for the first Mass at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve. This church was not just a place for worship—it served as a foundation of community life. As the ministry grew, so too did its educational mission. An elementary and high school were established in conjunction with the church, becoming a valued part of the community and shaping the early life of many of Texarkana’s children. “The parish founded the school to help educate the Catholic children of Texarkana and to give them a more thorough opportunity to learn and live their faith without harassment or the difficulties of the public school system. In the early part of the 20th century, anti-Catholic bias was pretty pronounced,” said Father Braun. “The school’s existence
Reverend Larry Ross stands with members of St. James AME on the steps of their current location at 938 Ash Street, Texarkana, Arkansas.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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