Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
#SupportSeminarianEducation
Invest in the Future of our Church
Click on the button above to donate online to Support Seminarian Education in the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, contact Maria Izquierdo at (501) 664-0340, ext. 378.
God is answering our prayers. He is calling men to the priesthood and they are listening. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor has ordained 36 diocesan priests in the past 11 years. This includes eight in 2018 alone. As a result, the median age of diocesan priests serving in Arkansas has dropped from 65 to 49. These new priests make up nearly half of all priests currently in active ministry. | New Priests
Msgr. James E. O’Connell started an endowment fund for our diocesan seminarians more than 50 years ago. This fund was invested and it helped cover the cost of educating our seminarians for many years. But that is no longer the case. Now, it costs $36,000 to educate one seminarian per year. This includes tuition, room and board, health insurance and other needs. With the increases in cost and seminarians, we need your help to form our future priests.
Get to Know Our Seminarians
Mark Johns
"One thing that I have become convinced of during my time in the seminary is that each one of us is in one way or another is called to serve. I have gradually come to realize that the Lord has given me a deep desire to be his servant by helping to bring people closer to him, and that this is his plan for me. The Lord has always been there for me and provided me with his grace, and I want to be able to share the grace that I have received with others. I am excited to be able to be part of the Lord’s plan in the Diocese of Little Rock." | Read More.
Learning Where You Serve
House of Formation
College seminarians live in community at the House of Formation with Msgr. Friend, vocations director, and Father Greg Luyet, prefect. Bishop Taylor, who also lives on the campus, frequently joins the community for Mass, dinner, prayer and other group activities. The seminarians take classes at local universities and the House of Formation, which offers both core courses and electives in philosophy. Being formed in the diocese is "not something abtract because they're in a place several hours from here and know they're going to be coming here someday. They actually have relationships with the people here in the diocese," explained Msgr. Friend. | Artwork
Click on the button above to donate online to Support Seminarian Education in the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, contact Maria Izquierdo at (501) 664-0340, ext. 378.
