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Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Hartnedy, Ashburn to be ordained deacons
Published: May 10, 2022
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will ordain two Diocese of Little Rock seminarians to the diaconate in May. They are John Paul Hartnedy and Nathan Ashburn. Through this process they will become transitional deacons, which is a major step toward priestly ordination.
The diaconate ordination Mass for John Paul Hartnedy will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 19 at St. Edward Church in Little Rock. A holy hour will precede the ordination at 4 p.m. Prayers will be offered for him, his continued discernment of priesthood and an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. All are invited to attend.
He will preach his first homily as a deacon during the 9 a.m. Mass in English and the 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Masses in Spanish on Sunday, May 22 at St. Edward Church.
Hartnedy, 25, attends Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas in preparation for ordination to the priesthood in 2023. He is the son of Deacon Danny and Stephanie Hartnedy of Little Rock. After his diaconate ordination, Hartnedy will serve as deacon at Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro this summer. To learn more about him, read his vocation story.
The diaconate ordination Mass for Nathan Ashburn will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 25 at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. A holy hour will precede the ordination at 4 p.m. Prayers will be offered for him, his continued discernment of priesthood and an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. All are invited to attend.
He will preach his first homily as a deacon during the 8:30 a.m., 12:05 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Masses on Sunday, June 5 at the Cathedral.
Ashburn, 33, attends Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas in preparation for ordination to the priesthood in 2023. He is the son of Deacon Chuck and Juliann Ashburn of Little Rock. After his diaconate ordination, Ashburn will serve as deacon at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Marché and St. Mary Church in North Little Rock this summer. To learn more about him, read his vocation story.
In addition, two other seminarians will be ordained to the priesthood on May 28. For more information about these upcoming ordinations, contact the Vocations and Seminarians Office at (501) 664-0340. To learn about others studying for the priesthood, visit our Seminarian Directory.
