Parish and Diocesan News

Mother Teresa: A Mass celebrating Mother Teresa's 100th birthday will be held at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 26 at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. Rector Father Matt Garrison will be the celebrant. A special song composed for the occasion will be performed at the Mass for the first time. The Missionaries of Charity also invite everyone to attend a Mass celebrating the feast day of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta at 9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 4 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will be the celebrant. It will be the 13th anniversary of Mother Teresa's death.

Retreat for widowed, divorced set for Sept. 10-12: Beginning Experience, a weekend retreat for those who are widowed or divorced, will be held at Camp Christian in Choteau, Okla., halfway between Siloam Springs and Tulsa, Okla., Sep. 10-12. For more information, contact Adrienne Charette at (479) 531-1883 or e-mail tulsabe@lycos.com. For a brochure, visit www.dolr.org.

Pilgrimage: Parishioners from St. Theresa Church in Little Rock traveled to St. Louis recently to see the "Vatican Splendors" exhibit. The group also stayed at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill., toured the Shrine of St. Joseph and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville, Mo.

Bingo: Bimonthly potluck and bingo was held at St. Mary Church in McGehee Aug. 21. After the fried chicken and desserts, everybody enjoyed five games of gift bingo. In early October, after the crops are in, the parish will begin classes on Sundays in "English for Spanish Speakers," particularly for farm employees.

Boys and Girls State: Five students from St. Joseph School in Conway were among the 1,200 high school students from across Arkansas who participated in Boys and Girls State this summer. Girls State was held at Harding University in Searcy while Boys State took place at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. The students are entering their senior year. The events were sponsored by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. The St. Joseph delegates were Cole Breeding, Michael Burmester, Joseph Trussell, Andrea Eades and Brandi Elsinger.

Bazaar: Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Fort Smith will host its 27th annual carnival at the parish center and church grounds Saturday, Sept. 11 from 6 to 10 p.m. All proceeds will be used for the religious, educational and charitable works of the church. The evening will include carnival games for all ages, bingo, raffles, pony rides, inflatables, variety of foods, bungee jumper, face painting and silent auction. On this Saturday only, Mass will be at 4:30 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.

Hospice presentation, anointing to be offered: The diocese's Senior Resource Ministry Committee will host its 11th annual Day for Seniors Sunday, Sept. 12 in Morris Hall Chapel at St. John Center in Little Rock. Beginning at 1 p.m., guest speaker Ellen Young, hospice specialist from the Arkansas Department of Health, will present "Understanding Hospice." Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will celebrate Mass at 2:30 p.m. The sacrament of the anointing of the sick will be available during Mass. A light supper will be served following Mass. To RSVP, call the Family Life Office at (501) 664-0340, ext. 353.

Seven jubilarian priests to be honored at Mass: The Mass of Thanksgiving will be held Tuesday, Sept. 14 to honor seven priests who are celebrating 25, 50, 60 and 70 years of priestly service. The Mass will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock with Bishop Anthony B. Taylor as the celebrant. The jubilarians priests are Father John Burkus, 70 years; Msgr. Bernard Malone, 60 years; Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, Father James Savary and Father Donald Murrin, 50 years; and Father John Connell and Father Aaron Pirrera, OSB, 25 years.

'Lectio Divina' to be taught at five-day silent retreat: On Sept. 16-22, Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB, will guide retreatants in a five-day silent retreat, using the art of "Lectio Divina," or "Holy Reading." Themes will be drawn from her book in progress, "Learning to Abide," "The Song of the Seed" and from Stephen Binz's book, "Conversing With God in Scripture." The cost is $400 with a $50 deposit, which covers lodging and 14 meals. To register, contact the center at (479) 783-1135 or retreats@ stscho.org.

Project Rachel to help healing from abortion: Post-abortion support groups are forming in Little Rock, Fayetteville and Hot Springs for those who feel alone, hurt or unforgiven from a past abortion. The diocesan Respect Life Office will offer Project Rachel, an 11-week support group, beginning the third week in September. All names and meeting places are strictly confidential. For details, call (501) 664-0340, ext. 357. All inquiries must be made by Sept. 20.

Catholic Charities to raise funds with auction, golf : Catholic Charities will host its annual auction and cocktail party Sunday, Sept. 19 prior to the annual Bishop McDonald-Catholic Charities Golf Classic. The party will begin at 6 p.m. at McDonald Hall at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. The $20 admission includes music, food and access to the silent auction. All proceeds benefit Catholic Charities of Arkansas. The Golf Classic will be held Monday, Sept. 20 and teams can register by calling Rebecca Spencer at (501) 664-0340.

Walk: On Saturday, Sept. 25, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will hold its third annual nationwide Friends of the Poor Walk to celebrate its years of service to the poor and to encourage Americans across the country to become Friends of the Poor too. Pledges made on behalf of registered walkers in each community will benefit those most in need in that same community. The Mother Teresa Conference at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers is accepting registration for walkers, pledgers and volunteers. The walk begins at 9 a.m. at the church. To register as a walker, to pledge support for a walker or for more information, visit www.svdpfriendsofthepoorwalk.org. To volunteer, call Theresa Gaffigan at (479)-925-2838.

What's happening in your parish?: Short articles and photographs about parish and school events and accomplishments are published weekly in Arkansas Catholic. Click here to send information about your events and accomplishments through our "Contact Us" page.

Protecting children and young people: The Diocese of Little Rock is committed to protecting children and young people. If you are aware of abuse or have been abused by clerics, Church volunteers or Church workers, please contact the Diocese of Little Rock at (501) 664-0340, ext. 366, and the State of Arkansas Hotline for Crimes against Children at (800) 482-5964. For pastoral assistance, please contact the victim assistance coordinator for the Diocese of Little Rock, Drs. George and Sherry Simon, at (501) 766-6001.
Diocesan Offices
2500 N. Tyler St.
Little Rock, AR 72207

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