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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.
Sidler to be ordained to priesthood
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will ordain Deacon Jack Sidler, Sr. to the priesthood on Saturday, Dec. 20 at St. Benedict Church on the grounds of Subiaco Abbey. The 10 a.m. Mass will be followed by a reception. He will celebrate his first Mass at Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Barling on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. Father Sidler will become the new associate pastor at Christ the King Church in Little Rock on Jan. 1. Sidler recently graduated from Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis. with a degree in theology. He is a member of Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Barling. He began his discernment of the priesthood after the death of his wife in 2008. The retired father and grandfather became a seminarian for the Diocese of Little Rock in 2011. ... More
2015 Extravaganza to host abortion survivor
The diocesan Catholic Youth Ministry Office will sponsor its annual Weekend Extravaganza, a "lock'in" for teens at Robinson Center and DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock Jan. 17-18. This event, which is open to youth in grades 9-12, coincides with the diocese's Mass and March for Life to follow on Jan. 18. Led by the diocesan Youth Advisory Council (YAC), Weekend Extravaganza includes music, skits and speakers that focus on right-to-life issues through a teen's perspective. This year's speaker is Melissa Ohden. She is the survivor of a failed saline infusion abortion and the founder and director of For Olivia’s Sake, an organization that raises awareness of the intergenerational impact of abortion on men, women, children, families and communities. ... More
Collection for retired religious Dec. 6-7
The 27th national collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious will be held Dec. 6-7 in the Diocese of Little Rock. The annual, parish-based appeal is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) in Washington and benefits more than 35,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests. Last year, the Diocese of Little Rock contributed $147,174.24 to this collection. In 2014, the Benedictines at St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith and Subiaco Abbey, Discalced Carmelite nuns and the Olivetan Benedictine sisters received financial support made possible by the Retirement Fund for Religious. ... More
Prepare the way of the Lord during Advent
Advent is a four-week season of joy, anticipation and repentance to prepare for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. The word "advent" comes from the Latin "adventus" which means coming. It begins on Nov. 30 and continues through Dec. 24. We are invited to reflect on the wondrous mystery of our Savior's birth and his coming again in glory at the end of time. To learn more, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 524-528 or visit our 2014 Advent Resource Guide. Advent also marks the beginning of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. Unlike the secular year, which marks the passage of time, the liturgical year celebrates the sacred mysteries of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The Christmas ... More
Pastoral appointments announced Nov. 14
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor recently announced the following pastoral appointments: effective Oct. 23 — Deacon William L. Friedman is excardinated from the Diocese of Dallas and incardinated into the Diocese of Little Rock; effective Nov. 10 — Father Vincent Flusche has resigned from priestly ministry; effective Nov. 14 — Father John C. Wakube, AJ, appointed temporary administrator of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock and relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of Christ the King Church in Little Rock; ... More
Three seminarians awarded scholarships
Vocations director Msgr. Scott Friend said the scholarships represent an honor for the Diocese of Little Rock because the Knights usually give only one scholarship in each diocese.... More
Diocese to get three sisters from Mexico
Three sisters from the Catholic Teachers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Maestras Católicas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús) religious order will begin their ministry at St. Augustine Church in Dardanelle and St. John Church in Russellville in January. Bringing the Mexican order to the Diocese of Little Rock was made possible through the Catholic Extension’s U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program. The program is funded by an initial $3 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The program will span five years and involve 10 Latin American congregations, sending more than 30 women religious to dioceses throughout the United States. ... More
Year of Consecrated Life continues to 2016
Pope Francis proclaimed a Year of Consecrated Life to be celebrated from Nov. 30, 2014 to Feb. 2, 2016. This special observance begins on the First Sunday of Advent and ends on the World Day of Consecrated Life. The theme "Wake Up the World" is designed to educate Catholics about religious life and promote religious vocations through special events such as open houses at convents and monasteries, joint service projects between the religious and laity, and prayer with religious, such as vespers or holy hours, at religious houses that are open to the public. ... More
