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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.
Share the light of Christ on St. Lucia Day
We celebrate lots of incredible saints during the season of Advent. One of the lesser-known saints, at least in the United States, is St. Lucy, whose feast is celebrated on Dec. 13. This virgin martyr is believed to have died for her faith in the year 304 in Sicily, during the persecutions of Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruled from 284-305. Not much is known for certain about St. Lucy, but she is among the few female saints listed in the canon of the Mass. Legends about Lucy include a rejected suitor denouncing her as a Christian and miracles that saved her from life in a brothel, ... More
Learn, teach about Our Lady of Guadalupe
Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe began in December 1531 when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared as an Aztec princess to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, outside a small village near Mexico City. The poor, humble man, who was declared a saint in 2002, told his bishop about the visits from the Virgin of Guadalupe and her desire for a church to be built on the site where she appeared. The bishop asked for a sign to prove that Juan Diego was telling the truth. When Juan Diego asked Mary to provide this proof, she told him to gather the roses growing on the hillside. ... More
Immaculate Conception is a beautiful gift
Although we celebrate the Immaculate Conception during Advent, the season during which we prepare for the birth of Jesus, this feast is NOT about the conception of Jesus. This can be confusing because the Gospel reading for this holy day focuses on the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary. "The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.'" (Luke 1:30-31) The Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The "immaculate" is not a ... More
Add St. Nicholas Day to Advent traditions
Advent is full of traditions that can make this wonderful season of anticipation lots of fun for kids. At the top of the list is the feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6. One of the most popular ways to celebrate St. Nicholas Day is to leave your shoes outside your bedroom door or on the fireplace hearth on the night of Dec. 5 along with a plate of carrots for St. Nicholas' horse. And sometime during the night, St. Nicholas will visit and leave gifts in your shoes. What he gives may vary, but traditionally he gives gold coins or a candy cane to represent his crozier (staff carried by bishops ... More
Take care of retired religious on Dec. 2-3
The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held Dec. 2-3 in the Diocese of Little Rock. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), the appeal benefits thousands of elderly Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose religious congregations lack adequate retirement funding. Please give to those who have given a lifetime. Last year, Catholics donated $189,587.99 to the collection in Arkansas. The Benedictines of Subiaco Abbey and the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Little Rock received a combined $83,734.29 in financial support made ... More
Say St. Andrew Christmas Novena in Advent
We celebrate the feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle on Nov. 30. His feast day leads us right into the season of Advent, which is fitting since he was the first of the Twelve Apostles to be called by Jesus. Advent, which begins Dec. 3 this year, is a season of joy and anticipation for the coming of the Lord. St. Andrew's example of this is evident in the Scriptures. After St. John the Baptist pointed out the "Lamb of God," to two of his disciples, Andrew, one of the two, heard John and immediately followed Jesus. He later went to his brother, Simon, and exclaimed: "We have found the Messiah." ... More
First Thanksgiving began with the Mass
Thanksgiving, as an American holiday, traces its roots back to 1621 when Gov. Bradford of the Plymouth colony called for a day of public praise and prayer to celebrate the first harvest. But the very first Thanksgiving on American soil took place much earlier; 56 years earlier to be exact, and the highlight of the occasion was a Catholic Mass. The first thing Spanish settlers did when they arrived safely in St. Augustine, Fla., was celebrate Mass in thanksgiving to God on Sept. 8, 1565. "After the Mass, Father Francisco Lopez, the chaplain of the Spanish ships and the first pastor of St. Augustine ... More
Adopting a child is a great work of love
Many in our culture have a negative view of adoption, but St. Pope John Paul II, in an address to adoptive families in the year 2000, made it clear that creating a family through adoption "is in no way inferior to one based on a biological connection. ... Adopting children, regarding and treating them as one's own children, means recognizing that the relationship between parents and children is not measured only by genetic standards. Procreative love is first and foremost a gift of self. There is a form of 'procreation,' which occurs through acceptance, concern and devotion," he explained. ... More
