The Parish: 1980-1990
The new decade, in which Holy Souls would celebrate its 60th anniversary as a mission and its 40th as a parish, brought many changes.

On Monsignor Allen's 50th anniversary of ordination in 1981, the parish School Board established the "Monsignor Allen Trust Fund" to help support Holy Souls School.

Lawrence H. Jegley was ordained to the permanent deaconate by Bishop McDonald November 7, 1981.  (Deacon Jegley first served on the staff of Holy Souls parish.  In 1989, he was appointed Diocesan Director of the Permanent Deaconate Program.  He has since retired, but is still active in Holy Souls as a deacon.)

A five-day summer Vacation Bible School was established in the parish in 1983 at the time construction was beginning on a new Parish Hall, immediately south of the church and connected to it by a covered walkway, and on a Parish Center, on the west side of Tyler Street.

Bishop McDonald blessed the new Parish Hall and Parish Center on August 14, 1985.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Eucharistic Ministers) were introduced in the parish in November 1985 to visit the home-bound, and Catholic patients in Hillhaven Nursing Home, the Williamsburg Nursing Home and the University of Arkansas Medical Center, all of which are the responsibility of Holy Souls parish.  (Two years later, Eucharistic Ministers began distributing Holy Communion at Mass.)

The old church was remodeled again in 1985 to house an art room in the west wing, a music room in the bell tower, and an office and workshop in the kitchen that had replaced the original sanctuary and sacristy.

The parish received further recognition October 15, 1986 when a belvedere, overlooking the Arkansas River, was dedicated in Little Rock's Riverfront Park.  The belvedere was the city's project for the state sesquicentennial, built as a tribute to 250 existing institutions that had served in the Little Rock community for more than fifty years.  A commemorative plaque was placed in the showcase, honoring Holy Souls School, founded in 1927.  A book signed by many Arkansas, including Holy Souls communicants, was buried on the belvedere site in a time capsule to be opened in 150 years -- in the year 2136.

On June 23, 1987, Monsignor Allen retired after a remarkable priestly ministry of 56 years, 40 of which he served in Holy Souls parish.

Monsignor Allen was succeeded as pastor by a 33-year old diocesan priest, The Rev. Thomas Marks, who had been an associate pastor at Holy Souls from 1982-1984, and who later became pastor of St. Peter's parish in Wynne, Arkansas.

In August 1987, the parish celebrated its 60th anniversary as a mission and its 40th as a parish, and the new Parish Center was named "Monsignor Allen Parish Center."

Two months later, Father Marks had the church confessionals modified to provide Vatican II's face-to-face option for parishioner, and he improved the church's sound system and constructed a raised platform at the left front of the church for the parish choir.  He also introduced a piano for choir accompaniment, supplementing the conventional organ.

The parish was plunged into mourning on October 11, 1988 by word that its beloved rounding pastor, Monsignor Allen, had died.  After a standing room only funeral at Holy Souls Church, Monsignor's remains were buried in the priests' circle at Calvary Cemetery, Little Rock.

In 1989, a Marriage Preparation Program was inaugurated with 14 "sponsor couples."  Marital topics of current concern are explored in the program by an engaged couple and their "sponsor couple."

Father Marks was transferred to the pastorate of Christ the King parish in Fort Smith, Arkansas on June 3, 1989 and The Rev. Michael V. Aureli, pastor of St. Augustine's parish, North Little Rock, was appointed by Bishop McDonald as his successor.

At this point, the response to a Stewardship Drive, initiated in 1987, had been such that renovation and enlargement of Holy Souls School could be undertaken and preliminary plans could be made for eventual remodeling of the church.