Fifth graders to participate in vocations day

Published: April 14, 2023

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate Mass at 9 a.m. to begin the Fifth Grade Vocations Day Wednesday, April 26, for nearly 300 students at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock. The day will also include workshops led by priests, deacons and religious brothers and sisters, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and a tour of the seminarian House of Formation, located on the parish grounds.

This day introduces the students to priestly, diaconate and religious vocations for men and women. "We gather fifth grade boys and girls and invite you to consider whether the Lord may be calling you boys to serve him as a priest or as a religious brother and you girls to serve him as a religious sister," Bishop Taylor explained in his 2019 homily at this event.

"My hope is that you will grow in the realization that Jesus will be with you and will help you if you are true to him and that being true to him means doing what he is asking of you already now as a fifth grader."

Students from the following schools are expected to participate: Our Lady of Fatima School in Benton, St. Joseph School in Conway, St. John School in Hot Springs, Christ the King, Our Lady of the Holy Souls and St. Theresa schools, all in Little Rock, Sacred Heart School in Morrilton, Holy Rosary School in Stuttgart, St. Paul School in Pocahontas and Immaculate Conception, Immaculate Heart of Mary and North Little Rock Catholic Academy schools in North Little Rock.

The Knights of Columbus will serve hot dogs for lunch and the Serra Club will provide religious medals to be given out to the students during the concluding prayer service beginning at 2 p.m.

Workshops will teach the students about the various religious orders in Arkansas, how to pray through music and information about Catholic Youth Ministry. Religious and clergy will also share testimonials and answer questions in a panel discussion.

Religious representatives from Subiaco Abbey, St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, Society of Divine Word, Missionary Catechists of the Poor, Religious Sisters of Mercy and the Daughters of Charity will participate along with pastors from Our Lady of Good Counsel, Christ the King, Our Lady of the Holy Souls and St. Paul in Pocahontas.

This event is sponsored by the Catholic Schools Office and assisted by the Vocations and Seminarians Office at the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, please email Marguerite Olberts, associate superintendent, or call her at (501) 664-0340, ext. 394.