Watch Taste of Faith live on Aug. 8, 2020

Published: July 27, 2020

En Español

All are invited to watch "Taste of Faith: Virtual Edition" live from the House of Formation on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. on our homepage (dolr.org), Facebook page or YouTube channel. Normally Taste of Faith is an in-person dinner held four to five times a year across Arkansas to raise money for seminarian education. But this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these dinners have been combined into one, live event where everyone can participate online. You can watch and donate online from the safety of your home.

"I have good news to share with you. In August, Bishop Taylor will ordain two men to the priesthood: Deacon Joe Friend and Deacon Daniel Velasco. He will also ordain five others to the diaconate to prepare for priestly ordination in 2021. Six new seminarians have joined us this year, bringing the total to 30 seminarians in formation. I am continually inspired by our seminarians when I see their love for the Lord and his Church. God is calling men to the priesthood and they are listening," said Msgr. Scott Friend, vocations director, in a letter mailed to Catholic households across Arkansas in July.

"With the increases in cost and seminarians, we need your help to form our seminarians into priests," he continued. "The generosity of the people of God is incredible. In the past 10 years, Catholics in Arkansas have donated $3.8 million at Taste of Faith events. That money has been used exclusively for immediate seminarian education expenses. Without your investment, it would be impossible for us to prepare these men for the priesthood."

Msgr. Friend explained that he hopes to raise $500,000 through Taste of Faith in a FAQ about the event. And all that money will be used to pay for seminarian education for this fiscal year, July 2020 - June 2021. This includes tuition, room and board, health insurance and other needs. To learn more, read our FAQ. "Thank you for prayerfully considering your support of seminarian formation. I ask you to pray for our seminarians and for an increase in vocations," he wrote concluding his letter.

Donors don't have to wait until Aug. 8 to support the seminarians. They can donate online now or mail in their donation to: Taste of Faith, Diocese of Little Rock, P. O. Box 7565, Little Rock, AR 72217.

The seminarians have an exciting event planned on Aug. 8 that will take the form of a late-night talk show featuring interviews with Deacons Joseph Friend and Daniel Velasco, and introduce you to the other seminarians and see what it is like to live at the House of Formation. You will even discover one of our guy’s secret recipes. Msgr. Friend will serve as host. The live event begins at 7 p.m. and is expected to last 1 hour and 10 minutes. For those unable to watch live, the video will be made available on this website, Facebook and YouTube for playback any time. Donations will be accepted throughout August for Taste of Faith.

For more information, email Dianne Brady, director of stewardship and development, or call her (501) 664-0340, ext. 391.