Support Seminarian Education
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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 38 diocesan priests in the past 11 years. God willing, we will ordain five more to the priesthood in May 2021. As a result, the median age of active, diocesan priests serving in Arkansas has dropped from 65 to 48. 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
Joel Brackett
"My vocation journey began at the House of Formation in January of 2019. Each day has been a learning experience whereby I have come to a greater understanding of myself and our Lord. His mercy and grace call me in every moment to greater participation in the divine life, even though I so often fail. I am slowly experiencing what the Father’s radical love means to me, and I pray that he draws me more deeply into the mysteries of our faith as I continue this journey. Your continual prayers and generosity never fail to amaze us, for which we thank you! Let us truly fall in love with Jesus, follow in his footsteps, and bring his name to the ends of the earth." | 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 Jeff Hebert, 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.
