Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Five to be ordained deacons in August
Published: May 29, 2020
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will ordain five Diocese of Little Rock seminarians to the diaconate in August. They are Alex Smith, Omar Galvan, Emmanuel Torres, Ben Riley and Brian Cundall. Through this process they will become transitional deacons, which is a major step toward priestly ordination.
These seminarians were scheduled to be ordained this month, but their ordinations were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alex Smith
The diaconate ordination Mass for Alex Smith will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Jacksonville. A holy hour will precede the ordination at 4 p.m. Prayers will be offered for him, his continued discernment of priesthood and an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Smith, 25, atttends Assumption Seminary in San Antonio in preparation for ordination to the priesthood in 2021. He is the son of Jesus and Gilda Elizondo of Beebe. To learn more about him, read his vocation story.
Omar Galvan
The diaconate ordination Mass for Omar Galvan will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12 at Immaculate Conception Church in Fort Smith. A holy hour will precede the ordination at 4 p.m. Prayers will be offered for him, his continued discernment of priesthood and an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Galvan, 27, atttends St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana in preparation for ordination to the priesthood in 2021. He is the son of Baltazar Galvan and Florina Gonzalez of Fort Smith. To learn more about him, read his vocation story.
Emmanuel Torres
The diaconate ordination Mass for Emmanuel Torres will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13 at St. Edward Church in Little Rock. A holy hour will precede the ordination at 4 p.m. Prayers will be offered for him, his continued discernment of priesthood and an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Torres, 33, atttends St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana in preparation for ordination to the priesthood in 2021. He is the son of Juan and Maria Torres of North Little Rock. To learn more about him, read his vocation story.
Ben Riley and Brian Cundall
The diaconate ordination Mass for Ben Riley and Brian Cundall will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14 at Christ the King Church in Little Rock. A holy hour will precede the ordination at 4 p.m. Prayers will be offered for them, their continued discernment of priesthood and an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Riley and Cundall atttend St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana in preparation for ordination to the priesthood in 2021.
Riley, 26, is the son of Dr. Richard and Melanie Riley of Little Rock. To learn more about him, read his vocation story. Cundall, 25, is the son of Yancy and Rose Cundall of Little Rock. To learn more about him, read his vocation story
Ordinations to the priesthood are also scheduled in August. To learn more, see a complete schedule of events or contact the Vocations and Seminarians Office.
There are 25 seminarians discerning priesthood for the Diocese of Little Rock. To learn how they experience this calling, read their vocation stories. If you or someone you know thinks they might be called to priesthood, contact Msgr. Scott Friend, vocations director, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 331.
