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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.
Diocese of Little Rock celebrates 175 years
Pope Gregory XVI established the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock on Nov. 28, 1843. The first bishop, Andrew J. Byrne, was consecrated on March 10, 1844, in New York and rode into Little Rock on horseback with two other priests on June 4. The Irish-born bishop found a scattered Catholic population of possibly 700 across Arkansas. Being formally established as a diocese did not make building the Church any easier. Bishop Byrne and all who labored with him and after him were confronted with many difficult challenges including extreme conditions, disease, poverty, war and anti-Catholicism. ... More
CCA has fewer and fewer refugees to assist
The Refugee Resettlement Office, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Arkansas, has been in the business of formally helping refugees since the 1970s. Over this time period, programs have become increasingly regulated by the U.S. Department of State, which manages resettlement efforts, and by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which offers assistance to refugees after their first three months in the United States, as well as assistance to other similarly vulnerable populations. The other vulnerable populations are asylees, victims of trafficking, ... More
Arkansas Catholics to give from the heart
One Church: Unite Arkansas in Faith and Mission is the title of a new program in our diocese. Nearly two years ago, Father Erik Pohlmeier came to me to ask a question on behalf of the diocesan Presbyteral Council: Could Catholic Charities of Arkansas handle a campaign where the parishes in the diocese were asked to help a single parish that needed a boost of assistance? This was something that Catholic Charities had been doing for a couple of years on a small scale: matching the needs of a small rural parish with the resources offered by a larger, established parish looking ... More
2018 CCHD grants help Catholics serve
Each year, the Diocese of Little Rock takes up a second collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) during the weekend before Thanksgiving. Twenty-five percent of this collection remains in the diocese and is used by Catholic Charities of Arkansas to fund the CCHD Local Grant Program. Typically, the total amount available for local grants ranges from $15,000 to $20,000. Local groups may apply for grants starting on Jan. 1 of each year. The cut-off date for grant submissions is May 31. Grant applications are considered during June and grant ... More
See plight of migrants in birth of Jesus
I have had the privilege to work with people from different countries. Most of us who live in the U.S. have heard of the horrific journeys endured to arrive here, primarily from Central American countries and Mexico. These challenging journeys raise the question: How could anyone take such a risk to come to our country? What would make someone chance everything by migrating alone or with their families, when they could possibly even lose their lives trying? I’ve grappled with this for a long time. I’ve come to the conclusion that I will probably never fully understand ... More
Bishop Taylor reflects on USCCB meeting
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor released the following reflection Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, about the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) held Nov. 11-14 in Baltimore. "This past week the bishops of the United States met in Baltimore for our semi-annual general assembly. This year the meeting was focused principally on the current clergy sexual abuse crisis in the wake of the scandals surrounding ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the report of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury, and the allegations of Archbishop Viganò." ... More
Bishop releases update on sex abuse crisis
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor released the following letter updating the people of the Diocese of Little Rock about the ongoing clergy sexual abuse crisis and assistance to victims: "Brothers and Sisters in Christ, last month I issued a letter to all the people of the Diocese of Little Rock to be transparent about how the sexual abuse crisis in the Church included Arkansas. I released the names of 12 priests with service in Arkansas who, as of Sept. 10, 2018, had been credibly accused of the sexual abuse of minors over the course of the last 70 years. I also announced that Kinsale Management ..." ... More
One Church to help local parishes in need
The Diocese of Little Rock recently launched One Church: Unite Arkansas in Faith and Mission, a new program that invites all parishes in Arkansas to partner with a struggling, neighboring rural parish and help it become a thriving community. Catholic Charities of Arkansas will oversee this initiative, which will run from September to August each year. This year’s partner is St. Luke Church in Warren, a growing congregation in southeast Arkansas whose decaying, older building can no longer accommodate them. The sanctuary is too small for their one Sunday night Mass ... More
