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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 addresses Planned Parenthood
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following statement about the recent release of a series of videos of Planned Parenthood staff on Aug. 6, 2015. Pope Francis has repeatedly described abortion as the product of a "widespread mentality of profit, the throwaway culture, which has today enslaved the hearts and minds of so many." Over the last few weeks we have been scandalized by a series of videos which reveal the extent to which this mentality governs the actions of Planned Parenthood in the United States, but it is worth noting that this inhumane behavior is not limited to that organization. Indeed, although other abortion facilities may not all harvest fetal organs and tissues for further study ... More
Disaster training conference to be Nov. 2-6
Catholic Charities USA will host its national Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence (AIDE) at the Arkansas 4H Conference Center in west Little Rock Nov 2-6. AIDE is an annual training program that equips the Catholic Charities network, diocesan and parish staffs and partner agencies such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Knights of Columbus, for their roles in disaster preparedness and response. See schedule or register online. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for parishes in our diocese to take advantage of cutting edge instruction,” said Patrick Gallaher, executive director of Catholic Charities of Arkansas. AIDE is a hands-on conference providing instruction on preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation training. The goal of the conference is to make parishes more resilient in the face of catastrophes. ... More
Pope Francis to visit U.S. in September
Pope Francis will make his first visit as pope to the United States Sept. 22-27. The Holy Father will go to Washington, D.C., Sept. 22-24, to meet with President Obama and address a joint session of Congress. From Sept. 24-26 he will visit New York City to address the United Nations General Assembly and take part in a multi-religious service at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center. He will close his visit by attending the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia from Sept. 26-27. To learn more, see the complete schedule for his visit or visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The World Meeting of Families was created by St. Pope John Paul II in 1994. It is held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family. ... More
Apply for women's EPJ team by Aug. 8
The diocesan Hispanic Ministry Office will sponsor an Encuentros de Promoción Juvenil (Encounters of Youth Promotion) weekend for young women ages 18-25 at St. John Catholic Center in Little Rock Oct. 29 to Nov. 1. The cost is $110 per person. The deadline to register is Oct. 10. To attend, download and return the registration form. To apply for the retreat team, download and return the team application by Aug. 8. For more information, contact Rocio Montes in the Hispanic Ministry Office at (501) 664-0340, ext. 364. Modeled after Cursillo and presented in Spanish, this Catholic movement was developed to teach young adults to evangelize their peers to accept the Gospel, live their vocation and take on leadership roles in Christian groups in their communities. ... More
Scholarships available for pro-life camp
Scholarships are available for Catholic students to attend Camp Joshua at Crossheirs Retreat Center in Humphrey. This pro-life camp is open to youth 14 to 19 years old and is sponsored by Arkansas Right to Life. The $100 fee includes meals, accommodations, materials and T-shirt. To apply for a scholarship, call Liz Tingquist in the diocese’s Catholic Youth Ministry Office at (501) 664-0340, ext. 333. To register for the camp, visit the website. Camp Joshua is a three-day pro-life camp designed to teach students how to be effective pro-life leaders. It will be held July 28-30, and will include informative workshops ... More
Bishop addresses Supreme Court decision
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following statement Wednesday, July 1 in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges requiring all states to license and recognize same-sex unions as a marriage. "To the people of the Diocese of Little Rock: Last week the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that now requires all states to grant same-sex unions the same legal status as true marriages. This decision runs counter to the truth of marriage, which by its very nature is about love and commitment shared between consenting adults but also about much more; it is also for the purpose of bringing forth new life and raising the children born of that union. This is no less true for those married couples who are unable to conceive children of their own, but who nonetheless reflect the mutual complementarity of the sexes ... More
Fortnight focuses on freedom to witness
The annual Fortnight for Freedom, a nationwide event focusing on prayer, education and action, will be held June 21 to July 4. The opening Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop William Lori Sunday, June 21 at 10:45 a.m. (Eastern Time) at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore. It will be televised EWTN. Watch it online at the CatholicTV Network. This year, the theme: "Freedom to Bear Witness" will be highlighted. It is based on a talk Archbishop Lori gave at a workshop on religious freedom at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md. in 2014. "Keeping the spirit of the Gospel means that Catholic institutions are to bear witness in love to the full truth about the human person by providing social, charitable ... More
Jubilarian priests to be honored June 30
A Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated Tuesday, June 30 to honor five priests who are celebrating 25 and 50 years of priestly service in the Diocese of Little Rock. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will be the main celebrant. The Mass will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. A dinner reception will follow at McDonald Hall. All are invited to attend. The jubilarian priests are: retired Msgr. Richard Oswald of Little Rock, 50 years; retired Father Henry Mischkowiuski, of Mountain View, 50 years; Father Jerome Kodell, OSB, of Subiaco Abbey, 50 years; Father Timothy Donnelly, OSB, of Subiaco Abbey, 50 years; and Father Barnabas Maria Susai, IMS, pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church in Bella Vista, 25 years. ... More
