Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
For best results, put specific keyword, title or phrase in quotes. (i.e. “Ash Wednesday”)
The following offers the latest information about events and activities happening in the Diocese of Little Rock.
"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God; to comfort all who mourn ..." (Isaiah 61:1-2) These words begin the first reading on the third Sunday of Advent, which is called Gaudete Sunday. "Gaudete" (pronounced gow-deh-tay) is Latin for "rejoice," which refers to the first word of the entrance antiphon. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! ... More
An antiphon is verse that is sung or recited to give emphasis to what follows, such as a prayer, psalm, Scripture or canticle. The O Antiphons are an ancient, Advent tradition that refer to the seven antiphons that come before the Magnificat (Canticle of Mary) in the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours from Dec. 17-23. They cover the special time of Advent known as the Octave before Christmas, with Dec. 24 being Christmas Eve and Vespers for that evening being for the Christmas Vigil. No one knows the exact origin of the O Antiphons, but Roman Catholics have been singing them ... More
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
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
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
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
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
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