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Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
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Happening Now
The following offers the latest information about events and activities happening in the Diocese of Little Rock.
Ashes to be sprinkled over head this year
Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten journey toward the celebration of Easter. Though it is not a holy day of obligation, it is a day of fast and abstinence. Normally, we are marked with ashes, in the form of a cross, on our forehead. However, this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vatican has asked that ashes be sprinkled over our heads instead. In it's "Distribution of Ashes in Time of Pandemic," the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, described how priests should bless the ashes to be distributed with holy water silently at the altar and then address ... More
St. Valentine's example teaches us to love
Showering those we love with cards, candy and roses are popular ways to celebrate St. Valentine's Day in the United States. This tradition seems to come from a belief in England and France during the Middle Ages that birds begin to pair on Feb. 14, which just happens to be the feast day of St. Valentine, according to the Catholic Education Resource Center. The connection of romantic love to the Catholic saint can be traced back to Geoffrey Chaucer's Old English poem: "Parliament of Foules." In it he wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day ... More
English Pre-Cana to be virtual through June
Are you planning to get married in a Catholic church in Arkansas? If so, find out what you need to do by reading the Getting Married Guide. Because marriage is lifelong, the Church wants to help you build a strong, lasting marriage. For this reason, couples seeking marriage in the Catholic Church are asked to spend several months in marriage preparation. It is so important, that all couples are required to fulfill an educational program to marry in the Diocese of Little Rock. Options include: Pre-Cana Day, the Sponsor Couple program or some other diocesan-approved ... More
English Convalidation Day to be virtual
Convalidation classes are offered for couples who are married civilly (i.e., "outside the Catholic Church") and who wish to have a valid marriage recognized by the Church. Canon law requires that Roman Catholics marry according to sacred ritual before a priest or deacon, unless a dispensation (permission) is received from the Church beforehand. If a Catholic does not observe this requirement and marries outside the Church, his or her marriage is not valid. Couples who wish to have their civil marriage recognized by the Church are asked to participate in a special ... More
Observe National Marriage Week Feb. 7-14
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops partners with other organizations to promote National Marriage Week each year to help build "a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family." It is always held Feb. 7-14. The 2021 theme is: “To Have, To Hold, To Honor.” World Marriage Day, held on the second Sunday of February, is part of this observance. This year, it falls on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. World Marriage Day "honors husband and wife as the foundation of the family — the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness ... More
World Day for Consecrated Life is Feb. 6-7
The World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life will be Feb. 2, which is also the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Celebration of this event is transferred to the following weekend, Feb. 6-7, to allow parishes to highlight the gift of religious life and pray for those discerning a religious vocation. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICSAL) at the Vatican addressed a letter to all consecrated persons Jan. 18 highlighting the difficulty of the past year and noting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious communities worldwide. ... More
CSW celebrates schools' value to nation
Catholic Schools Week will be observed nationwide Jan. 31 to Feb. 6. Catholic schools will celebrate the week with special Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and the community. This year these events will look different because of the safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some events will be virtual. Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to the Church, communities and the nation. To learn how Catholic schools in Arkansas will celebrate, contact ... More
Bishop Taylor issues email scam alert
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following warning Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, regarding an email scam that appears to come from him. A similar warning was issued in May 2020 by the diocese regarding email and texting scams asking for money. "There is a scam currently out there using my name. Do not respond to any requests for money or gift cards that appear to be from me. One of our priests was swindled out of $1,500. The request was to buy 15 Amazon $100 gift cards, scratch off the back to reveal the card number and then take a picture of both and send this ... More
