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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 changes April 30
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced the following pastoral appointments April 30, 2020, for the Diocese of Little Rock. Effective May 27, 2020: Rev. Maraiah Pasala, appointed associate pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock; Rev. Mariadass Vallapaneni, appointed associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Mary Church in Paragould, and Immaculate Heart of Mary ... More
Bishop to decide May 6 about public Mass
"In my last message of April 15, based on the insistence of our public health officials that physical separation needs to continue to be maintained for the time being, I extended our present suspension of activities (and the corresponding dispensation of the Sunday obligation) to May 18. At that time I also indicated that on April 30 I would make a further determination regarding the remainder of the month of May, including whether an earlier opening date might also be possible if things have changed for the better between now and then. Since then, much has happened. ... More
Pope: Pray rosary to end pandemic in May
In Catholic tradition, the month of May is dedicated to Mary. In preparation for this special devotion, Pope Francis addressed a letter to the faithful worldwide on April 25 asking us to "rediscover the beauty of praying the rosary at home in the month of May." "I am also providing two prayers to Our Lady that you can recite at the end of the rosary, and that I myself will pray in the month of May, in spiritual union with all of you. I include them with this letter so that they are available to everyone," he wrote. Choose one of the prayers to say at the end of the rosary for an end to the ... More
U.S., Canada to be reconsecrated to Mary
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will join together in renewing the two nations' consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary on Friday, May 1. Archbishop José Gomez, president of the USCCB, will lead the prayer service on behalf of the United States at 2 p.m. central time. All are invited to watch it live on the USCCB Facebook page. "Through a collective dedication or entrustment of a nation to Mary, an act of consecration is meant to be a reminder to the faithful of the Blessed Mother’s witness to the Gospel and to ask for ... More
Celebrate 20 years of Divine Mercy Sunday
This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the institution of Divine Mercy Sunday on April 19. The celebration of Christ's resurrection continues with this feast, which recognizes that God's love and mercy endure forever and overcome any sin that separates us from him. In the 1930s, Jesus appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, and directed her to promote his divine mercy worldwide. St. John Paul II canonized St. Faustina on May 1, 2000. Five days later the Vatican decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter would henceforth be known as Divine Mercy Sunday. ... More
Bishop: No public Masses through May 18
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following letter to the people of the Diocese of Little Rock, April 15, 2020, to address further changes to his March 12 mandate suspending all public Masses and non-essential events during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I want you to know that I appreciate what a difficult time this has been for all of us, especially the suspension of public Masses and all other public gatherings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I think we have all grown in our love for and longing for the Eucharist. I know this has been very hard for our priests, who miss intensely ... More
Immigration offices now closed to public
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic Charities Immigration Services in Little Rock and Springdale have both closed to the public, said director Jennifer Verkamp-Ruthven. "If anyone needs to reach us, they can call our office," she said. "When they call, they can ask about consultations. Some cases are being done remotely." To reach the Little Rock office, call (501) 664-0340, ext. 314. In Springdale, call (479) 927-1996. Catholic Charities Immigration Services provides low-cost immigration counseling and support to families and individuals who are eligible for immigration ... More
Westside Medical Clinic is closed for now
Westside Free Medical Clinic is not designed to screen or test or treat for COVID-19. Appropriate protective gear is not available for the staff and volunteers and the available limited resources need to be in the hospitals at this time. Westside director Karen DiPippa said all the clinics have been postponed until they can safely reopen. Scheduled patients have all been contacted by phone to inform them of the postponement. Patients are being given a tentative appointment for rescheduling with the understanding that it is subject to change. No new patients are being accepted at this time. ... More
