Seminarian House of Formation

The House of Formation gives seminarians and discerners a place to live and become acquainted with the four pillars of priestly formation — human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual — as they seek the will of God for their lives. Discerners are men who have not yet become seminarians but live and study alongside seminarians in the House of Formation. Under the guidance of the formation's staff, they experience the daily life of a seminarian through prayer, study and community as they consider whether God is calling them to a priestly vocation. 

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Living in Community

Living in community allows both seminarians and discerners to grow in maturity and develop crucial human skills. As members of the community, they serve in local parishes and attend events around the Diocese of Little Rock, which acquaints them with the blessings and challenges of pastoral care. They also take classes at local universities and the House of Formation, which offers both core courses and electives in philosophy. Seminarians attend Mass daily, make a daily holy hour, receive spiritual direction and go regularly to the sacrament of reconciliation. In prayer, they seek God's will for their lives and acquire the spiritual maturity they will need as seminarians and, God willing, priests of Jesus Christ. Residents of the House of Formation live and work under the leadership of Father Jeff Hebert, vocations director and prefect. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor also lives on the premises and frequently joins the community for Mass, dinner and other group activities.

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Background

Bishop Taylor dedicated the $1.6 million House of Formation on the grounds of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock on Sept. 20, 2012. The 6,000-square-foot building includes a chapel, kitchen, meeting room/library, dining room, common area, 10 student rooms and two priest apartments. Since 2009 seminarians studying at local colleges have lived together while discerning or getting an English-language education. In 2011 they moved into Fletcher Hall at St. John Catholic Center while their new home was being built. Bishop Taylor blessed the site of the new construction in March 2012.

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Last Supper and Crucifix Artwork

The image at the top of this page is a photo illustration of the 10-foot-by-5-foot oil painting of the Last Supper hanging in the dining room of the House of Formation. Andrea Hathcote, of Hensley, whose father John is Catholic, donated the painting after learning about the construction of the house. Hathcote, a member of East End Baptist Church, based the images of Jesus and the Apostles in the painting on people she observed at the River Market in Little Rock, grocery store, a friend and even a homeless man. The crucifix in the St. John Vianney Chapel was created by Juan Campos of Guanajuato, Mexico, and was donated by the Hispanic Cursillo movement in the Diocese of Little Rock.