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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.
Bishop to make pastoral changes March 1
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced the following pastoral appointments Friday, Feb. 22, for the Diocese of Little Rock: Effective March 1: Rev. Robert Cigainero begins a leave of absence from his priestly responsibilities; Msgr. David LeSieur relieved of his responsibilities as director of continuing education of the clergy and minster for priests. He remains pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers; Rev. Erik Pohlmeier appointed director of continuing education of the clergy. He remains diocesan director of faith formation; Msgr. Scott Friend, VG, appointed minister to priests. ... More
Bishop updates clergy disclosure list
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor released the following update, Feb. 8, 2019, following the conclusion of Kinsale Management Consulting’s independent review of clergy personnel files and the diocese’s ongoing internal file review. "Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: On September 10 of last year I wrote you about the steps we are taking to address the clergy sexual abuse crisis in Arkansas. I disclosed the names of 12 priests and former priests against whom credible allegations had been received in the last 70 years. I also announced that an independent review of our clergy files ..." ... More
Griswold, former employee, died Feb. 1
Dianna Lynne Griswold, who worked at the Diocese of Little Rock for 23 years, died Feb. 1. She was 62. She was born to Max and Lena Peoples Griswold. She attended the University of Memphis. Before working at the diocese, she was a transportation specialist at Cleo Inc. At the diocese, she worked most recently as a database administrator in the development office. She previously served as the manager of St. John Catholic Center and worked in the youth office and tribunal. A member of St. Theresa Church in Little Rock, she retired in December 2017. ... More
Diocese of Little Rock celebrates 175 years
Pope Gregory XVI established the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock on Nov. 28, 1843. The first bishop, Andrew J. Byrne, was consecrated on March 10, 1844, in New York and rode into Little Rock on horseback with two other priests on June 4. The Irish-born bishop found a scattered Catholic population of possibly 700 across Arkansas. Being formally established as a diocese did not make building the Church any easier. Bishop Byrne and all who labored with him and after him were confronted with many difficult challenges including extreme conditions, disease, poverty, war and anti-Catholicism. ... More
CCA has fewer and fewer refugees to assist
The Refugee Resettlement Office, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Arkansas, has been in the business of formally helping refugees since the 1970s. Over this time period, programs have become increasingly regulated by the U.S. Department of State, which manages resettlement efforts, and by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which offers assistance to refugees after their first three months in the United States, as well as assistance to other similarly vulnerable populations. The other vulnerable populations are asylees, victims of trafficking, ... More
Arkansas Catholics to give from the heart
One Church: Unite Arkansas in Faith and Mission is the title of a new program in our diocese. Nearly two years ago, Father Erik Pohlmeier came to me to ask a question on behalf of the diocesan Presbyteral Council: Could Catholic Charities of Arkansas handle a campaign where the parishes in the diocese were asked to help a single parish that needed a boost of assistance? This was something that Catholic Charities had been doing for a couple of years on a small scale: matching the needs of a small rural parish with the resources offered by a larger, established parish looking ... More
See plight of migrants in birth of Jesus
I have had the privilege to work with people from different countries. Most of us who live in the U.S. have heard of the horrific journeys endured to arrive here, primarily from Central American countries and Mexico. These challenging journeys raise the question: How could anyone take such a risk to come to our country? What would make someone chance everything by migrating alone or with their families, when they could possibly even lose their lives trying? I’ve grappled with this for a long time. I’ve come to the conclusion that I will probably never fully understand ... More
Bishop Taylor reflects on USCCB meeting
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor released the following reflection Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, about the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) held Nov. 11-14 in Baltimore. "This past week the bishops of the United States met in Baltimore for our semi-annual general assembly. This year the meeting was focused principally on the current clergy sexual abuse crisis in the wake of the scandals surrounding ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the report of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury, and the allegations of Archbishop Viganò." ... More
