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Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
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Happening Now
The following offers the latest information about events and activities happening in the Diocese of Little Rock.
All Saints' Day celebrates ultimate victory
All Saints' Day is the feast on which we celebrate those who have died and gone to heaven. Catholic teaching holds that all people in heaven are saints. This includes all saints, not just those who are known to us (those canonized by the Church). We, the faithful on earth, celebrate their triumph and seek to learn from their example in what it means to live holy lives. We also ask them to pray for us so that we go to heaven as well. This feast is celebrated on Nov. 1. It is so important that it is a holy day of obligation to attend Mass, except when it falls on a Saturday ... More
Pray for souls in purgatory on All Souls' Day
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, or All Souls' Day, is the feast day dedicated to praying for all those who have died and are in purgatory. Souls in purgatory "have not yet been purified" in order to enter heaven. That said, the Church teaches those in purgatory will get to heaven eventually and our prayers help them get there. "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven." ... More
Father Edwin Graves, 84, died Oct. 6
Father Clarence “Ed” Edwin Graves, a diocesan priest for 33 years who was known for his love of art and music, died Oct. 6 in Little Rock. He was 84. Father Graves was born on Jan. 2, 1941, in Birmingham, Ala., to Clarence and Frances Graves. He had one sister, Judy Finley. He grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., before his family moved to Memphis. He earned a bachelor of fine arts in painting from the Memphis College of Arts and a master of fine arts in painting from the University of Mississippi in Oxford. His discernment of a vocation to the priesthood was nurtured in his family ... More
Pray the rosary to become more like Jesus
In addition to being Respect Life Month, October is also dedicated to the rosary primarily because the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated Oct. 7. Two years after Pope St. Pius V endorsed praying the rosary, he asked the faithful to pray the rosary and seek the intercession of the Blessed Mother during the Battle of Lepanto, off the coast of Greece in 1571. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Christian fleet prevailed on Oct. 7 and the Holy Father established the day as the feast of Our Lady of Victory. In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the name of the feast ... More
St. Francis inspires care for all of creation
St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), patron saint of animals and ecology, is known for his love for God's creation. In his "Canticle of the Creatures," he reveals how all creation is connected in one family under God's loving care. His feast day is celebrated Oct. 4. In his 2015 papal encyclical, “Laudato Si’” (“Praise Be to You”), Pope Francis showed he has a lot in common with his namesake, by challenging all to care for God's creation. Last year, on St. Francis of Assisi's feast day, the Holy Father released “Laudate Deum” (“Praise God”), an apostolic exhortation to follow up ... More
Bishop condemns mass deportations
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor released the following statement on mass deportations to be read Oct. 3, 2025, in front of the ICE administration building in Washington, D.C., during a Pax Christi vigil. The vigil will be part of Pax Christi USA’s national council meeting. "So many troubles face our country at this moment, and it may feel as though divisions can be insurmountable. In the midst of all this, it can be easy to lose sight of those living in the shadows and peripheries of our society. And so, lest we forget, I write to share my spiritual closeness with our many immigrants ... More
Bishop urges unity after activist’s death
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following statement, titled "On Human Dignity, Political Violence and Rediscovering Our Common Human Bonds,” Sept. 16, 2025. "Given the events of the last several days in our country, it would be difficult for those following the news not to know of the recent horrific assassination and murder of Charlie Kirk — a Christian, a conservative political activist and a young husband and father to two young children. Even if, like me, you weren’t familiar with him before the events of this past week, most have witnessed the resultant anguish and division ... More
2025-26 formation days on evangelization
The 2025-26 Parish Catechist Formation Day will focus on learning how to grow as "Missionary Disciples through Evangelizing Catechesis" employing the method of evangelizing catechesis from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Institute on the Catechism. This event will be held in five parishes across the Diocese of Little Rock from September to May. It offers training to catechists, youth ministers, Christian initiation coordinators and other faith formation leaders in parishes and schools. Participants may attend the location of their choice in English or Spanish ... More
