By Cameron Green

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – The Saint Thomas Aquinas University Parish is complete following multiple years of construction. The estimated cost for the church was nearly $15 million dollars according to their release. Fundraising began in 2021 and the previous church was decommissioned in 2023. 

The church now has many new amenities for attendees including an adoration chapel that is open 24/7 as well as a student center for studying, socializing and worship. They had been holding their masses in the Arkansas Union during the time without a church. 

Although all are welcome to the church, those who want access to the 24/7 adoration chapel must fill out a form to receive a code for it.

Since the opening of their new building, the attendance has grown a significant amount.

“Now at the 10 A.M. mass we are easily over 500 I believe.” Focus missionary, Jake Avard said. “The first weekend, last weekend, was closer to six hundred if not a little more with the overflow space and the fellowship hall.”

Avard said the area in which they hosted mass in the Union held around 200 people. With the new building, which is nearly 20,000 square feet, they can hold nearly triple the amount of attendees. 

The responses from students that have attended mass at the new building have been positive. Many students take full advantage of the new adoration chapel because of its availability around the clock. With tighter schedules different for students, it can be used easier, Avard said.

“We didn’t have a place to gather. We didn’t have a place to just be.” Campus ministry intern, Gabrielle Schmitz said.” That’s a big part of the church, it is a community, and being able to be with other like-minded people and other people of the faith has been just so phenomenal.”

Schmitz has also noticed people coming back to the church because of the new building and that during masses at the union there were many distractions. The Arkansas Union is the central hub for students on campus and hosts many events as well as students social areas.

“There’s a lot of families from the surrounding Fayetteville area who used to come to St. Thomas then went to another parish in the area.” Schmitz said. “Then a lot of students who either just haven’t been going to mass, or going to other denomination churches who are back and have been coming. Which has been so great.”