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Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
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The following offers the latest information about events and activities happening in the Diocese of Little Rock.
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
The sixth annual Catholic Schools Scholarship Appeal will kick off Nov. 10 to assist schools statewide in providing tuition assistance to students who qualify. This year, $3.2 million is needed to provide assistance to 1,164 students. Parish subsidies and school scholarship funds cover $1.6 million, which leaves a need for $1.6 million in donations through this appeal. In a letter to previous donors, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor explained that every dollar donated will be used to provide financial assistance to the students who need it. ... More
Did you know that more than 100,000 children and teens in foster care in the United States are waiting to be adopted? More than 100,000 children and teens whose parental rights have been terminated and who are languishing in foster care waiting, hoping, praying and longing for a forever family. November is National Adoption Month. As we celebrate and support adoptive families, let us also discern if God is calling us or someone we know to adopt. To learn more about adoption from foster care, see this FAQ from AdoptUSKids. To learn about adoption from foster ... More
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 so important that it is a solemnity and holy day of obligation to attend Mass. It is celebrated on Nov. 1. "The Bible says that purity ... More
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate the annual All Souls Day Mass at Calvary Cemetery, the official cemetery for the Diocese of Little Rock, at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 2. After the Mass, he will lead a procession through the cemetery praying the rosary and blessing graves. If it rains, the Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock at noon. All are invited to participate. 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 ... More
Americans seem obsessed with zombies, vampires, ghosts and the occult. It is especially bad this time of year when we are inundated with disturbing images of darkness and death, which is a distortion of what Halloween is really about. Father Steve Grunow with Word on Fire explains that Halloween, as understood by Catholics, puts the realities violence, horror and death "within the context of Christ’s victory over sin, death and the devil. The current secularized version of the festival has no salvific content and has been loosed from its theological moorings. It looks very much like ... More
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor released the following letter updating the people of the Diocese of Little Rock about the ongoing clergy sexual abuse crisis and assistance to victims: "Brothers and Sisters in Christ, last month I issued a letter to all the people of the Diocese of Little Rock to be transparent about how the sexual abuse crisis in the Church included Arkansas. I released the names of 12 priests with service in Arkansas who, as of Sept. 10, 2018, had been credibly accused of the sexual abuse of minors over the course of the last 70 years. I also announced that Kinsale Management ..." ... More
The Diocese of Little Rock recently launched One Church: Unite Arkansas in Faith and Mission, a new program that invites all parishes in Arkansas to partner with a struggling, neighboring rural parish and help it become a thriving community. Catholic Charities of Arkansas will oversee this initiative, which will run from September to August each year. This year’s partner is St. Luke Church in Warren, a growing congregation in southeast Arkansas whose decaying, older building can no longer accommodate them. The sanctuary is too small for their one Sunday night Mass ... More