Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Brackett to be ordained a priest on May 31
Published: May 15, 2025
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will ordain Deacon Joel Brackett to the priesthood at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31 at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. A reception will follow in McDonald Hall. All are invited to attend.
A holy hour to pray for Brackett will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 30 at the Cathedral. During this time of eucharistic adoration and vespers, prayers will be offered for him and an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Brackett, 27, is the son of Burke and Kristi Brackett of Rogers. He will celebrate the 10 a.m. English Mass and noon Spanish Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers on Sunday, June 1. He will begin his first assignment Wednesday, June 18 as associate pastor of St. Edward Church in Texarkana, Sacred Heart Church in Foreman and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Ashdown.
In his 2022 vocation story he wrote, "I have become more and more enamored of the life of priestly service, a life of sacramental participation in Christ’s sacrificial love for the good of his flock. I hope and pray to one day be your servant as his priest, living out my vocation for the sake of your salvation and mine." Read the rest of his story.
Brackett completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary in St. Meinrad, Indiana earlier this month. He was ordained a transitional deacon at St. Vincent de Paul Church, his home parish, in May 2024. Watch his diaconate ordination at the bottom of this page. For more information, email Georgina Peña in the Vocations and Seminarians Office, or call her at (501) 664-0340, ext 353.
Currently, 22 men are discerning a vocation to the priesthood for the Diocese of Little Rock. If you or someone you know is considering a vocation to the priesthood, contact Father Jeff Hebert, vocations director, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 331.
