Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Five men to be ordained priests May 28
Published: April 22, 2016
Go to Diaconate Ordinations / En Español
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will ordain five men to the priesthood for the Diocese of Little Rock on Saturday, May 28. They are: Deacons Joseph Chan, Mario Jacobo, Taryn Whittington, Norman McFall and Stephen Gadberry. The 10 a.m. ordination Mass will be held at Christ the King Church in Little Rock with a reception to follow. The night before, on Friday, May 27, all are invited for eucharistic adoration and vespers to pray for these men and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life at 6:30 p.m.
Dr. Chan, 51, will celebrate his first Masses Sunday, May 29 at 8 and 10:30 a.m. at St. Boniface Church in Fort Smith. A reception will follow each Mass in the parish hall. After his ordination, he will study at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. from June 2 to Aug. 4. He will serve as associate pastor of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock and St. Patrick Church in North Little Rock beginning Aug. 5.
He is the son of Mrs. Circuncision Chan of Lavezares, Northern Samar, Philippines. He completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. To learn more, read or watch his vocation story or read Arkansas Catholic. If you wish to contact him to congratulate him or assure him of your prayers, please e-mail him.
Jacobo, 38, will celebrate his first Masses Sunday, May 29 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock (bilingual) and Sunday, June 5 at 1 p.m. at St. Clement Church in Calhoun, Ga. (Spanish) Receptions will follow in both locations.
He will serve as associate pastor of St. Theresa Church in Little Rock beginning June 14. He is the son of Maria Urtes of Calhoun, Ga. He completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. To learn more, read or watch his vocation story or read Arkansas Catholic. If you wish to contact him to congratulate him or assure him of your prayers, please e-mail him.
Whittington, 38, will celebrate his first Mass Sunday, May 29 at 12:05 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock with a reception to follow. He will serve as prefect of the diocesan House of Formation on the campus of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock beginning June 14.
He is the son of Rev. Richard and Regina Whittington of Scott. He completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. To learn more, read or watch his vocation story or read Arkansas Catholic. If you wish to contact him to congratulate him or assure him of your prayers, please e-mail him.
McFall, 59, will celebrate his first Mass Sunday, May 29 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in Pine Bluff. A potluck reception will follow the Mass. He will serve as associate pastor for Hispanic ministry at Christ the King Church in Fort Smith and hospital chaplain at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith beginning June 14.
This former Free Will Baptist minister and his wife, Laura, joined the Catholic Church in 1999. They have one son, Samuel. McFall is among a small group of men who were ordained in other Christian denominations, converted to Catholicism and granted dispensation to be ordained a Catholic priest by the Holy Father. He completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. To learn more, read or watch his vocation story or read Arkansas Catholic. If you wish to contact him to congratulate him or assure him of your prayers, please e-mail him.
Gadberry, 30, will celebrate his first Masses Sunday, May 29 at 9 a.m. in English and 5 p.m. in Spanish at St. Peter Church in Wynne. A reception will follow each Mass. He will serve as associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers beginning June 14.
He is the son of Leslie Gadberry of Wynne. He completed his studies for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. To learn more, read or watch his vocation story or read Arkansas Catholic. If you wish to contact him to congratulate him or assure him of your prayers, please e-mail him.
In addition to the priestly ordinations of five seminarians, six others will be ordained transitional deacons in preparation for ordination to the priesthood next year. Learn about these events to happen in May and June. Read more in Arkansas Catholic. Currently, 38 men are discerning a vocation to the priesthood for the Diocese of Little Rock. If you or someone you know is considering a vocation to the priesthood, contact Msgr. Scott Friend, vocations director, at (501) 664-0340. For more information, contact the Vocations and Seminarians Office.
