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.
Bishop addresses 'white flag' comments
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued the following statement, March 25, 2024, regarding Pope Francis’ “white flag” comments March 9, 2024. "Not a few people were perplexed by Pope Francis’ comment in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, taken out of context that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the 'white flag' and negotiate an end to its war with Russia. The way the comment unfolded was as follows: In the interview, Pope Francis was asked for his position on a debate between 1.) those who say Ukraine should give up its fight — fly a white flag ... More
Easter: All faith flows from the Resurrection
St. Athanasius called Easter "the Great Sunday." The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls it the "Feast of feasts" and the "Solemnity of solemnities." Easter is the celebration of the Jesus' resurrection from the dead. This moveable feast falls on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. By taking on our sin, Jesus, through his passion, death and resurrection destroyed the power of sin and death and made it possible for us to have eternal life. That is the Good News. All faith flows from faith in the resurrection. "If Christ has not been raised, then empty ... More
New life in Christ celebrated at Easter Vigil
While Christ is in the tomb on Holy Saturday, he did something very important that often gets lost in the celebration of the Easter Vigil that evening. In the Apostles Creed we pray: "He descended into hell." Hell in this sense has a very different meaning than how we understand the term today. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: "Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, 'hell' — 'Sheol' in Hebrew or 'Hades' in Greek — because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God." At this point in time, all those who had died ... More
Good Friday puts us face to face with cross
On Good Friday we relive Jesus' suffering and death so we never forget God's unconditional love and desire for us to be saved. "He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all." (Isaiah 53:5-6) We do not celebrate Mass on this day because it is a solemn day of prayer and mourning, which includes fasting and abstinence from meat. The Good Friday service includes ... More
Holy Thursday: Come, stay awake for Jesus
During the Mass of the Lord's Supper, we mark the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood and re-enact the washing of feet. This Holy Thursday evening liturgy brings Lent to a close and begins the celebration of the Easter Triduum. Holy Thursday is traditionally known as Maundy Thursday. The word, “maundy,” comes from the Latin, “mandatum” and means “commandment” or “mandate." During the Last Supper, Jesus commanded the disciples to: "Do this in remembrance of me," (1 Corinthians 11:24) referring to the celebration of the Eucharist and "love ... More
Come, celebrate Easter Triduum with us
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. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate the Easter Triduum at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. The schedule is as follows: Holy Thursday, March 28 ... More
Oils blessed at Chrism Mass sign of unity
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate the annual Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock on Monday, March 25 at 5:30 p.m. Priests serving across Arkansas concelebrate this Mass, during which they renew their commitment to priestly service. All are welcome to attend. Anointing oils to be used for sacraments and dedications are also presented for the bishop's blessing. These include the oil for the sick, used in anointing the sick; the oil for catechumens, used during baptism; and the oil for the sacred chrism, which is the primary anointing oil. ... More
Palm Sunday foreshadows what is to come
"The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding (Jesus) and those following kept crying out and saying: 'Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.'" (Matthew 21:1-11) This Scripture describes Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, an event we reenact on Palm Sunday, which is celebrated the Sunday before Easter marking the beginning of Holy Week. The Catholic Church remembers this event during ... More
