Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
#SupportSeminarianEducation
Invest in the Future of our Church
Updated Sept. 5, 2024
Click on the button above to donate online to Support Seminarian Education in the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, contact Deacon Chuck Ashburn, assistant director for development and academic advising, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 368.
God is answering our prayers. He is calling men to the priesthood and they are listening. The Diocese of Little Rock has gained 48 new priests in the past 16 years. God willing, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will ordain another to the priesthood in May 2025. These new priests make up more than half of all diocesan priests in active ministry. | Priest Stats | Ordination Stats
Msgr. James E. O’Connell started an endowment fund for our diocesan seminarians more than 50 years ago. This fund was invested and it helped cover the cost of educating our seminarians for many years. But that is no longer the case. Now, it costs $41,000 to educate one seminarian per year. This includes tuition, room and board, health insurance and other needs. With the increases in cost and seminarians, we need your help to form our future priests.
Get to Know Our Seminarians
Benjamin Keating
"While in Philadelphia, the excitement about being a doctor lasted for a while. However, the feeling began to fade. I felt the familiar restlessness creeping back inside. Without my NYC friends around to help me ignore that feeling, I found myself spending my extra time reading. One day, I stumbled upon C.S. Lewis', "Mere Christianity," and I couldn't get enough. Eventually, I felt this little voice inside calling me back to confession and Mass. I will never forget that first Sunday." | Read More.
Learning Where You Serve
House of Formation
College seminarians live in community at the House of Formation with Father Jeff Hebert, vocations director and prefect. Bishop Taylor, who also lives on the campus, frequently joins the community for Mass, dinner, prayer and other group activities. The seminarians take classes at local universities and the House of Formation, which offers both core courses and electives in philosophy. Being formed in the diocese is "not something abtract because they're in a place several hours from here and know they're going to be coming here someday. They actually have relationships with the people here in the diocese," explained former vocations director Msgr. Scott Friend. | Artwork
Click on the button above to donate online to Support Seminarian Education in the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, contact Deacon Chuck Ashburn, assistant director for development and academic advising, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 368.
