If you’re looking for traditional Catholic towns in the Ozark Mountains, they can be found. These are towns were the local parish celebrates either the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) regularly on Sundays or more often, and/or the Traditional English Mass (Divine Worship) regularly on Sundays or more often. These towns have no other Catholic parish, so the town itself is considered “Traditional Catholic” even if the majority population may be non-Catholic. In other words, Traditional Catholicism is the only form of Catholicism practised in that town.

Ozark, Missouri — Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form)

Ozark is about 15 minutes south of Springfield, Missouri, (a mid-size city), and is noted for its rolling hills and heavily forested area. The parish is St. Joseph the Worker, which celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) every Sunday, with reverent Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) masses also on Sunday and weekdays. This is a regular parish within the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. All masses are celebrated ad orientem, and communion on the tongue while kneeling is the norm. Moving to this traditional Catholic town will put you within 15 minutes of a mid-size city (Springfield), but well outside of urban sprawl. This is still a small town with a small-town feel. It has a magnificent community centre and indoor aquatic park. The public school system is one of the better ones in the region, however, Missouri is considered one of the best homeschooling states in the country. The real estate market in Ozark can be viewed here.

Republic, Missouri — Traditional English Mass (Divine Worship)

Republic is about 15 minutes southwest of Springfield, Missouri, and is noted for it’s growing suburban neighbourhoods, wooded parks and nearby Civil War battlefield which is now a national park. It has an excellent recreation centre and outdoor aquatic park. The parish is St. George Catholic Church and it celebrates the Traditional English Mass (Divine Worship) exclusively, on all Sundays and minimally twice during the week, with more weekday celebrations to come. The Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) mass is not celebrated at St. George or anywhere in the City of Republic. This is a parish within the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, but any Catholic may become a member of the parish and no Catholic will be turned away. The Traditional English Mass (Divine Worship) is celebrated ad orientem and communion on the tongue while kneeling is the norm. It is similar to the Traditional Latin Mass in many ways, but the language is Sacred English (thee and thou) instead of Latin (see example here from a similar parish). Moving to this traditional Catholic town will put you within 15 minutes of Springfield (a mid-size city), but well outside the urban sprawl. St. George is preparing to build a traditional Catholic chapel on the land it currently occupies. The public school system is one of the better ones in the region, however, Missouri is considered one of the best homeschooling states in the country. The real estate market in Republic can be viewed here.

Hulbert, Oklahoma — Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form)

Hulbert is about an hour east of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and 20 minutes south of Clear Creek Abbey, a traditional Catholic Benedictine monastery and convent. Clear Creek Abbey is about as traditional as it gets; all Latin all the time, Gregorian chant, with a very European look and feel. However, Hulbert is the nearest town (20 minutes away) and it is very small and isolated. This is a good place to go if you just want to “get away from it all.” Both Hulbert and Clear Creek Abbey are within the Cherokee Nation, which is basically another country within the United States with its own culture and legal system. Clear Creek Abbey is within the Diocese of Tulsa, but is part of the traditional Benedictine Order. The only other Catholic Church is in Tahlequah, which is 16 minutes east of Hulbert. The real estate market in Hulbert can be viewed here.

Tontitown, Arkansas — Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form)

Tontitown is a suburban bedroom community of Springdale, Arkansas, just 15 minutes west of downtown Springdale which is a mid-size city in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. The parish is St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) is celebrated there weekly on Sunday afternoons. The Ordinary Form Mass (Novus Ordo) is also celebrated there but it appears to be in the contemporary manner. This parish appears to be a quasi-traditional, mixed-Catholic community and it is under the Diocese of Little Rock. It is included in this list because it is the only parish situated in this suburban town and has the potential to become a Traditional Catholic town if more Traditional Catholics move to the area. The real estate market in Tontitown can be viewed here.

There are a few other parishes in the Ozarks that celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, particularly in Northern Arkansas, but these are not Traditional Catholic towns, as there are other Catholic parishes in the city, or the traditional mass is not celebrated weekly. This page will be updated as other traditional Catholic towns in the Ozarks materialise.

UPDATED: 6 June 2018