Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
#SupportSeminarianEducation
Invest in the Future of our Church
Updated June 15, 2026
Click on the button above to donate online to Support Seminarian Education in the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, contact Deacon Chuck Ashburn, assistant director for development and academic advising, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 368.
God is answering our prayers. He is calling men to the priesthood and they are listening. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor has ordained 55 diocesan priests since he became bishop in 2008. These priests now make up the majority of all diocesan priests in active ministry. Msgr. James E. O’Connell started an endowment fund for our diocesan seminarians more than 50 years ago. This fund was invested and it helped cover the cost of educating our seminarians for many years. But that is no longer the case. Now, it costs $45,000 to educate one seminarian per year. This includes tuition, room and board, health insurance and other needs. With the increases in cost and seminarians, we need your help to form our future priests.
Get to Know Our Seminarians
Phillip Necessary
"Father Stephen Gadberry, when he was associate pastor, called me one day and said, 'Phil, in my holy hour, I felt that I should call you and tell you that you would make a great priest.' I said, 'I don’t think so Father, but thank you.' I finished my time at Rogers High School, and from the perspective of the world, life was good. I had good grades, was a football captain and had a lot of friends, but something was missing, I wasn’t saying yes to the Lord, I was a part-time Catholic, and my soul was not fulfilled." | Read More.
Learning Where You Serve
House of Formation
College seminarians live in community at the House of Formation with Father Jeff Hebert, vocations director and prefect. Bishop Taylor, who also lives on the campus, frequently joins the community for Mass, dinner, prayer and other group activities. The seminarians take classes at local universities and the House of Formation, which offers both core courses and electives in philosophy. Being formed in the diocese is "not something abtract because they're in a place several hours from here and know they're going to be coming here someday. They actually have relationships with the people here in the diocese," explained former vocations director Msgr. Scott Friend. | Artwork
Click on the button above to donate online to Support Seminarian Education in the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, contact Deacon Chuck Ashburn, assistant director for development and academic advising, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 368.
