Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
For best results, put specific keyword, title or phrase in quotes. (i.e. “Ash Wednesday”)
Happening Now
The following offers the latest information about events and activities happening in the Diocese of Little Rock.
Newest Catholics join during the pandemic
Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Little Rock welcomed 382 new Catholics into the Church from May 2020 through the Easter Vigil Masses on Saturday, April 3, 2021. Normally, all would have entered during the Easter Vigil, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the process was disrupted when public Masses were suspended in 2020. These neophytes participated in their parish's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process and fell into two groups: the elect and candidates. The elect had not been baptized or formed in the Christian faith and life. ... More
90 years later we celebrate Divine Mercy
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, wrote in her diary that she witnessed a vision of Jesus on Feb. 22, 1931, while she was living at a convent in Plock, Poland. She wrote that Jesus had one hand raised in benediction and the other resting over his heart, from which emanated two rays of light. On the 90th anniversary of this first apparition, Pope Francis wrote a letter to the bishop of the Diocese of Płock, Poland. In his Feb. 22 letter, the Holy Father recalled the words of Jesus heard by St. Faustina: “Paint a picture according to the pattern you see, with the caption: 'Jesus, I trust in You.' ... More
Bishop releases pastoral changes April 9
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced the following pastoral appointments, April 9, 2021, for the Diocese of Little Rock: Effective June 2, 2021: Daniel J. Wendel, to be ordained a transitional deacon on May 26, 2021, appointed to serve as deacon at Immaculate Conception Church in Fort Smith during the summer 2021; José Jaime Nieto Bautista, to be ordained a transitional deacon on May 21, 2021, appointed to serve as deacon at Sacred Heart Church in Morrilton and St. Joseph Church in Center Ridge during the summer 2021. Effective June 15, 2021: Deacon Omar Galván ... More
Support our seminarians on Holy Thursday
The annual Holy Thursday Collection for Seminarian Education will be held April 1. The money from this collection supports the immediate educational and housing expenses of the diocese's seminarians. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor has ordained 38 diocesan priests in the past 11 years and is scheduled to ordain five more to the priesthood next month. As a result, the median age of active, diocesan priests serving in Arkansas has dropped from 65 to 48. These new priests make up nearly half of all priests currently in active ministry. Msgr. James E. O’Connell started an endowment fund ... More
Come, let the Lord love you in Holy Week
The word, "triduum" (TRIH-du-um) comes from the Latin word meaning, "three days." The Easter Triduum celebrates the three days of Christ's passion, death and resurrection, the most sacred time of the liturgical year. It begins at sundown on Holy Thursday, reaches its high point at the Easter Vigil, and concludes with evening prayer at sundown on Easter Sunday. It is also known as the Sacred Triduum or Paschal Triduum. The liturgical celebrations of the Easter Triduum are rich in symbolism and flow from one to the other in a seamless way. They are "one day unfolding for us ... More
Oils blessed at Chrism Mass sign of unity
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate the annual Chrism Mass at Christ the King Church in Little Rock on Monday, March 29 at 5:30 p.m. Because of COVID-19 precautions, space is limited and only priests will be allowed to attend. Arkansas Catholic will livestream the Mass on the Diocese of Little Rock YouTube channel for all to watch online. Subscribe to the channel to get notifications when new videos are posted. Priests serving across Arkansas concelebrate this Mass, during which they renew their commitment to priestly service. Anointing oils to be used for sacraments ... More
Palm Sunday foreshadows what is to come
Palm Sunday is celebrated the Sunday before Easter and marks the beginning of Holy Week. We begin this feast by reenacting the events of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We put ourselves there, with all those who had gathered to celebrate the Passover feast. We see Jesus approaching the city, riding on a colt, and get excited because we have heard the stories about the miracles he has performed. We wave our palm branches and cry out: "'Hosanna!'" "'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.'" "'Hosanna in the highest!'" (Luke 19: 28-40 and Mark 11:1-10) ... More
Bishop: Mass protocols to change April 1
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced modifications, Thursday, March 25, to the COVID-19 protocols for public Masses he issued last May. In the following letter, addressed to the "people of the Diocese of Little Rock," he said these changes go into effect on Holy Thursday, April 1. “Thanks to the cooperation of our people with the protocols we have had in place to mitigate the danger of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing number of people who have been vaccinated, we are now in a position to make a few modifications in the protocols to be observed effective April 1. ... More
