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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 opposes legalization of marijuana
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following statement, Sept. 29, 2022, opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana in Arkansas. A constitutional amendment to allow licensed dispensaries to sell cannabis products to people 21 and older for any reason is on the state ballot Nov. 8: "When in 2016 the issue of medical marijuana was before the voters, I noted as part of my faithful citizenship letter that medical marijuana and recreational marijuana should be treated differently in matters of public policy. From a theological standpoint the Church has no moral ... More
New series features Diocese of Little Rock
"The Chair" is an 86-episode video series about the history of the Catholic Church in America as told through its cathedrals and bishops in 42 states, including Arkansas. "The Chair: The Diocese of Little Rock" is now available on YouTube. The 22-minute episode can be viewed on the YouTube channel for NETTVCATHOLIC NET-TV. The web-based series is the first video project of DeSales Studios, which is part of DeSales Media Group, a non-profit Catholic technology and communications ministry of the Catholic Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens in New York. ... More
Fifth One Church partner is IHM, Magnolia
Each September a church in Arkansas is chosen to benefit from One Church: Unite Arkansas in Faith and Mission. This year’s partner is Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Magnolia, a small, but growing mission in southwest Arkansas, with one Mass in English and one in Spanish every Sunday, plus campus ministry for students attending nearby Southern Arkansas University. According to Arkansas Catholic, when the church, rectory and parish hall were built in the late 1970s, no space for classrooms, meeting rooms or offices was included. Since then, parishioners have ... More
College students: Go on retreat Oct. 21-23
The 2022 Catholic Campus Ministry Fall Retreat will be held Oct. 21-23 at St. John Catholic Center in Little Rock. This year's retreat master is Deacon Danny Hartnedy, religion teacher at Christ the King School in Little Rock. He has been a deacon for more than 10 years, served as a spiritual director for the past seven years and has preached at retreats and been a director of silent retreats. In addition to psychology and theology degrees, he earned a master’s certificate in spiritual direction from Creighton University. He will address the theme: "I Have Kept the Faith." (2 Timothy 4: 6-7) ... More
Attend talk about new shrine in your area
Representatives from the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, which is being built by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, will speak at five parishes in Arkansas next month. All are welcome to attend one of these presentations to be held Oct. 1-8 in English and Spanish. Leif Ardvinson, executive director, and Jason Spoolstra, director of pilgrimages, will speak in English and Cynthia Aranda, executive assistant, will speak in Spanish about the $50 million shrine, which is set to be dedicated in February 2023. These events are sponsored by the Faith Formation Office. For more information ... More
EPJ #30 for men to be held Sept. 29 - Oct. 2
The diocesan Hispanic Ministry Office will sponsor its Encuentros de Promoción Juvenil # 30 (Encounters of Youth Promotion) weekend for single, young men ages 18-27 at St. John Catholic Center in Little Rock Sept. 29 - Oct. 2. The deadline to register is Sept. 15. The cost is $110 per person. To attend, download and return the registration form with fee to the address provided. Encuentros de Promoción Juvenil (EPJ) is a Catholic movement for youth to evangelize their peers to accept the Gospel, live their vocation and take on leadership roles in Christian groups ... More
Deacon John "Bo" McAllister, 75, dies Aug. 3
Deacon John “Bo” McAllister died unexpectedly at the VA Hospital in Little Rock on Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the age of 75. He served as a diocesan employee for 21 years until his retirement as chancellor for canonical affairs in 2015. McAllister, a graduate of Arkansas State University and a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, where he was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, moved his family to Little Rock in 1978, where he worked for BEI electronics as a project manager. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law School in 1986, was ordained a deacon in 1993 ... More
Subiaco Abbey elects Abbot Elijah Owens
Father Elijah Owens, OSB, was elected the eighth abbot of Subiaco Abbey on Thursday, July 7. He replaced Abbot Leonard Wangler, OSB, who led the Benedictine community for the past seven years. Abbot Elijah was elected by his fellow monks. His acceptance made him the spiritual head and father of the 35 religious priests and brothers at Subiaco immediately. He took the oath of office July 7. Then Bishop Anthony B. Taylor celebrated the abbatial blessing on Saturday, July 16. Read his homily. To learn more about how monks are elected in the ancient Benedictine tradition ... More
