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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.
Bishop releases pastoral change June 5
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced the following pastoral appointments June 5, 2020, for the Diocese of Little Rock. Effective July 1, 2020: Rev. Joshua Passo, FSSP, a priest of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, appointed associate pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Cabot. He will also be offering Latin Mass at St. Joseph Church in Tontitown. ... More
Welcoming new Catholics during COVID-19
When the Rite of Election was celebrated in the Diocese of Little Rock Feb. 27 - March 2, there were nearly 600 catechumens and candidates in Arkansas parishes preparing to enter the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and all public Masses and celebrations were suspended, including RCIA. When public Masses resumed in May, on a restricted basis, there was not a specific plan for parishes to initiate new Catholics into the Church. Father Erik Pohlmeier, diocesan director ... More
Attempt to grasp Trinity in heart, not mind
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is celebrated the week after Pentecost. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith. "It is the mystery of God in himself." (no. 234) God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is three distinct persons in one God. The Church's teaching focuses on the following: The Trinity is one — "We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons ... The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole ... More
Bishop Taylor issues statement on racism
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following statement to the people of the Diocese of Little Rock, June 2, 2020, about racism. It was accompanied by the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" written by Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. in 1963. "Last Sunday we celebrated the great feast of Pentecost, the day when Jesus’ earliest followers were empowered by the Holy Spirit to go forth and proclaim to all the nations the Good News that in Jesus’ victory over the power of sin and death, the walls that separate people must now come down. The diversity of languages that day gives witness to the fact that the ... More
Five to be ordained deacons in August
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. 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. ... More
Dcs. Friend, Velasco to be ordained Aug. 15
Deacon Joseph Friend of Christ the King Church in Little Rock and Deacon Daniel Velasco of St. James Church in Searcy earned master of divinity degrees from St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana after the spring 2020 semester. They were scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Little Rock this month, but their ordinations were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate their ordination Mass for Friend and Velasco at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15 at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. ... More
Torres raps for Catholic Extension series
Serio Torres, associate director of the Office of Faith Formation in Little Rock, was one of several Catholic artists who have performed concerts livestreamed on Catholic Extension’s website and Facebook page. The aim of the online concert series is to lift people’s spirits during a time of struggle and uncertainty caused by the pandemic, while also promoting the vitality of the Catholic faith in the poor communities in U.S. mission dioceses supported by the Chicago-based organization. Torres’ rap show, which was shown May 6, can be found at catholicextension.org, or watch the video below. ... More
Bishop releases pastoral changes May 20
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced the following pastoral appointments May 20, 2020, for the Diocese of Little Rock. Effective May 20, 2020: Rev. Phillip Reaves, appointed temporary administrator of St. Boniface Church in New Dixie (Bigelow), St. Francis of Assisi Church in Roland (Little Italy) and St. Elizabeth Church in Oppelo to Aug. 31, 2020. This is in addition to his current responsibilities as director of prison ministry in the Diocese of Little Rock; Msgr. Jack D. Harris, appointed pastor of Catholic Campus Ministry in Conway. This is in addition to his current responsibilities as pastor ... More
