Enough money was raised through One Church to pay for the renovations to Blessed Stanley Rother Church in Decatur.
The mission church set a goal of $101,000 to renovate the inside and outside of the church. As of Aug. 21, One Church collected $143,111.96, which was deposited with the Diocese of Little Rock. Another $4,130 was mailed directly to Decatur.
In September 2023, former pastor Father Arokiasamy “Samy” Madhichettyirudayaraj said the plans were to replace the leaky roof and install new flooring, plumbing, ceiling, insulation, windows and doors. The church also needs a new heating and air conditioning unit since the current one is inadequate, especially in the summer.
The cinder-block building seats 80 people, but it is common to see people standing in the back during the weekend Mass.
Father Madhichettyirudayaraj was hopeful that more could be raised so the building would be expanded to enlarge the parish hall. It was estimated at $300,000 for the renovation and explanation.
The current pastor, Father Balaraju Akkala, was out of the country and unavailable for an interview.
Evangelina Torres, bookkeeper and parish life coordinator at St. Mary Church in Siloam Springs, oversees the finances for the Decatur church.
“Father Bala said he is still searching for places or ways to have more money for the church,” Torres said of the expansion project.
Torres said the community was happy to be chosen for One Church since the renovations would not be possible without outside support. The community in Benton County was officially established on Sept. 24, 2017, one day after the beatification of the Oklahoma martyr who served in Guatemala.
“They are so happy,” Torres said. “They need a bigger church. There are more people every weekend, and they don’t have enough seats. It’s not enough. It’s very small.”
