Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Here to Help You
You are not alone. The Catholic Church in Arkansas offers ministries to serve a variety of needs, including health care, prison ministry, food panties, thrift shops, help with crisis pregnancies, immigration assistance, housing for seniors, support groups, homeless shelters and more. If you don't find what you're looking for below, please contact us and let us know how we can help.
Catholic Support Groups
Support groups for a variety of needs are available through the diocese or in parishes across the state.
Addictions
Calix Society of Central Arkansas
Catholic ministry for alcoholics in recovery and their families. Also serves those with other addictions such as drug use, gambling, sex addiction and more. The group is guided by a chaplain and open to all faiths. All are welcome to attend meetings, including family and friends who are affected. Available in English and Spanish.
Fuerza Transformadora (Transforming Force)
Catholic movement to reach people struggling with drug and alcohol addictions, gang life and violence. Meetings offered in Spanish at parishes statewide. See locations for contact information.
After Abortion
Catholic ministry for post-abortive women, men and their families that offers spiritual, psychological and emotional support in English and Spanish. Please text or call (501) 663-0996 or email projectrachel@dolr.org. All inquiries are confidential.
Catholic Deliverance and Healing Ministry
Unbound offers a path from the bondage of sin to the freedom that Christ already won for you through his death and resurrection. Trained prayer teams help you break the chains of fear, loneliness, anger, guilt or other obstacles that keep you from truly living life to the fullest. To find an Arkansas prayer team, email Father William Burmester, chaplain. To learn more, visit Unbound: Heart of the Father.
Divorce
Divorced Catholic offers the Recovering from Divorce program online. Some parishes in Arkansas offer this program in person. To learn if there is a ministry for divorced Catholics in your area, please contact a parish near you.
Grief and Consolation
Most Catholic parishes in Arkansas provide some form of consolation for the bereaved, whether its through a formal program, support groups or by providing one-on-one listening and comfort. Visit our Parish Directory to find contact information for a parish near you.
Same-Sex Attraction and Gender Identity
International Catholic ministry for persons dealing with same-sex attraction (i.e., homosexuality and/or gender identity issues). To learn more, visit the Courage website.
Catholic support group for those who have friends and family members experiencing same-sex attraction. EnCourage is a ministry within the Courage ministry dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children and other relatives and friends of people who have same-sex attractions. Dates and locations are confidential. E-mail encouragelittlerock@gmail.com information.
Services for Persons with Disabilities
Provides safe, attractive and affordable apartments for persons with disabilities in several locations across Arkansas. For more information, call (501) 664-1881, (866) 486-2136 or visit the website.
A Mass for the deaf in American Sign Language is celebrated on the First Saturday of each month at 4 p.m. at St. Mary Church in North Little Rock. There is an ASL interpreter at the 10 a.m. English Mass every Sunday at the same parish. Please confirm the schedule in advance by calling the church office at (501) 374-7123.
Disaster Response
If you are on a fixed income, do not have insurance, are disabled or undocumented in Arkansas and your lost your home to a natural disaster, Catholic Charities of Arkansas offers relief and recovery assistance on a long-term basis. For more information, contact Megan Moore at (501) 664-0340. For emergency help, please call 911 and the American Red Cross at 1-800-Red-Cross.
Food Pantries and Thrift Stores
Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock
Food pantry and thrift shop that also provides limited financial assistance to families in need in central Arkansas. For more information, call (501) 372-4388 during office hours, (501) 650-5636 in an emergency, or visit Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Catholic lay organization that provides emergency assistance to individuals and families in need. This parish-based organization operates in Mountain Home, Rogers, Heber Springs, Jonesboro, Cherokee Village, Berryville, Eureka Springs, Bentonville and North Little Rock. For help in one of these areas, visit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for contact information.
Health Care
Catholic health care providers offer comprehensive care through their hospitals, clinics and specialty services across the state. Visit our hospital directory to find a Catholic health care center near you.
Homeless Services
Helps individuals who are homeless, vulnerable and disadvantaged through Jericho Way Day Resource Center in Little Rock and Opportunity House in Pine Bluff.
Jericho Way Day Resource Center — homeless day center in Little Rock that provides resources to improve health, economic assistance and support to help those served become financially self-sufficient and find and retain housing. Open Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call (501) 916-9859 for assistance.
Opportunity House — homeless center in Pine Bluff that offers meals, short-term, emergency shelter, hygiene services and assistance to become financially self-sufficient and find and retain housing. Open Mon. - Fri., 7:30 a.m.- noon. Call (870) 569-3130 for assistance.
Emergency shelter for pregnant mothers, their children and homeless women. It is run by the Missionaries of Charity sisters. It is located at 1002 S. Oak St. in Little Rock. For more information, please call Abba House at (501) 663-3596.
Low-Income Housing
Provides safe, attractive and affordable apartments for low-income elderly and persons with disabilities in several locations across Arkansas. For more information, call (501) 664-1881, (866) 486-2136 or visit the website.
Immigration Services
Provides low-cost immigration counseling and support to families and individuals who are eligible for immigration benefits and cannot afford private assistance with offices in Little Rock and Springdale. Services include assistance to immigrant victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. For more information, please call (479) 927-1996 in Springdale or (501) 664-0340 in Little Rock.
Pregnant and Alone?
Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center
Catholic, nonprofit pregnancy resource center in Little Rock that serves women, children and families who are facing difficult pregnancy decisions. For more information, call (501) 227-7944 or visit Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center.
Emergency shelter for pregnant mothers, their children and homeless women. It is run by the Missionaries of Charity sisters. It is located at 1002 S. Oak St. in Little Rock. For more information, please call Abba House at (501) 663-3596.
Prison Ministry
Catholic volunteers respond to the spiritual needs of those who are incarcerated and their families at several facilities run by the Arkansas Department of Correction. Visit our prison ministry directory to find a program near you.
Report Sexual Abuse of Minors
If a child is in immediate danger, please call 911. If not in immediate danger and you wish to report the sexual abuse of a child, please call the State of Arkansas Hotline for Crimes Against Children at (800) 482-5964. After contacting the civil authorities, and you want to report abuse by a priest, deacon, religious or other member of Church personnel, please contact Deacon Matthew Glover, chancellor and general counsel, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 361. For pastoral care, contact Laura Gottsponer, LCSW, victim assistance coordinator, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 425.
Spiritual Direction
Certified Catholic spiritual directors are available in Arkansas to guide those who seek to follow God's will for their lives and deepen their relationship with him. To find a spiritual director, please ask a Catholic priest in your area for assistance. To learn more about the process, visit Arkansas Catholic.
