Parish and Diocesan News

DINNER: The Msgr. Hebert Endowment Fund at Christ the King School in Little Rock is hosting "An Evening with Bishop Anthony Taylor" Saturday, Nov. 22. Bishop Taylor will celebrate the 5 p.m. Mass. A dinner will follow in the Family Life Center at 6:30 p.m. The cost of the dinner is $50 for individual seats. Corporate-sponsored tables are available for $500 with seating for 12. Call Jennifer Reynolds at (501) 225-7883 or e-mail her at jreynolds@ctklr.org to reserve seats.

BAZAAR: The Women's Fellowship at St. Joseph Church in Fayetteville is hosting its Christmas Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22. Handcrafted items will be on sale. For more information, call Lisa Watroba-Brown at (479) 236-8703 or Romaine Kobilsek at (479) 251-8415.

Marriage anniversary Mass to be held Nov. 23: A marriage anniversary Mass will be celebrated by Bishop B. Anthony Taylor at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23 in Morris Chapel at St. John Center in Little Rock for couples -- Catholic, interdenominational or interfaith -- who are celebrating 25, 50, and 50 or more years of marriage this year. Families are also invited to attend. The reservation deadline is Nov. 20. Call the Family Life Office at (501) 664-0340, ext. 353 with your name, number of years married and number of family members attending.

READING ASSIGNMENT: Teresa McKay's fifth and sixth grade students at St. Mary School in Paragould recently completed an interesting assignment. Each student read a book and built a book float that represented the book they had read. The students gave a report to the class about the book and float. After the class presentations, the other students enjoyed a parade of books through their classrooms.

NEW ALBUM: Father Tom Elliott, pastor of Christ the King Church in Fort Smith, is releasing his fourth CD, "Love Lived More," at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16 in the parish center. The event will include a concert, barbecue luncheon and sale of CDs. For ticket prices or CDs, call the parish office at (479) 783-7745.

REUNION: The 1958 senior class of Sacred Heart High School in Morrilton celebrated its 50th class reunion Oct. 11. There were 13 graduates in the class, 10 of which were able to attend the celebration. Two graduates were unable to attend. The class lost one of its members. Antoinette Raible Zimmerman of Springdale died in 1997. For the reunion, the class met at Sacred Heart Church where they took group pictures on the steps of the old convent, the same place where they took their graduation picture 50 years ago. The class then attended Mass, and Harold Beck introduced the class to those in attendance and reminisced on "how it was back then in school." The school was destroyed by fire in their junior year and in November 1957 of their senior year the new school opened. After Mass the class met at Mike's Place in Conway for a meal.

Deacon earns canon law degree from Catholic U.: The Chancery Office for the Diocese of Little Rock announced this week that Deacon Bo McAllister, chancellor for canonical affairs, recently earned his canon law degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. McAllister, who also has his civil law degree, has studied in Washington for the past six summers to earn the degree. He has worked for the Diocese of Little Rock since 1994, but was promoted to his current position in 2002. McAllister also serves as a deacon at Christ the King Church in Little Rock.

Fort Smith hospital named consumer choice winner: St. Edward Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith was named as a 2008-2009 Consumer Choice Award Winner by the National Research Corporation. The award identifies hospitals that health care consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image in more than 250 markets throughout the United States. This is the fifth year in a row that St. Edward Mercy has won the award. "We are happy to have earned the trust and confidence of our community," said Dr. Larry Pearce, vice president of medical affairs for St. Edward Mercy. Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company's Healthcare Market Guide Ticker study. The Healthcare Market Guide Ticker study surveyed over 200,000 households representing more than 400,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Mammography screening on the move in Fort Smith: St. Edward Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith celebrated Oct. 30 the 20th anniversary of offering Mercy Mammography Van service during a ceremony in front of the medical center's Women's Center entrance. The Mercy Mammography Van has provided approximately 28,000 mammograms since its debut. Two vans have been used during the past 20 years. The first was purchased in 1988 with the second purchased eight years ago. The combined mileage for both vans is more than 175,000 miles. The van travels to locations throughout six counties: Sebastian, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Yell. The purpose of the van is to provide convenient mammography service to women in all locations. The vehicle contains a digital mammography machine plus Computerized Assisted Diagnosis (CAD), which is the same level of care offered at the St. Edward Mercy Women's Center. The vehicle is staffed by a registered mammography technologist. Once a mammogram is taken on the mobile unit, it is sent to the medical center and is read by a radiologist using CAD. The mammogram results are sent to the patient's physician with an information letter sent directly to the patient regarding the outcome of their mammogram. Limited funding for women who need assistance paying for mammography services is available through the St. Edward Mercy Auxiliary and grants from both the Ozark Affiliate and the Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Thanksgiving: St. Mary Church in Altus will again be serving a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 27. It has been a tradition in the parish for more than 90 years. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. by pastor Father Hilary Filiatreau, OSB. A feast will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Takeouts are available. Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for children 6 to 12 years old and free for children 5 and younger. Other activities include an auction of handmade quilts, bazaar, white elephant sale and children's activities.

Bazaar: Our Lady of Good Hope Church in Hope will host its Holiday Bazaar from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29 in the church hall. On sale will be holiday crafts, gifts and unusual items. The event will also include a bake sale and lunch. Proceeds will go to the church's general fund.

Advent: The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock will present the annual Advent Lessons and Carols at 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 30. The annual evening of readings and singing includes the Youth Chorale, handbell ensembles and the Cathedral Choir singing motets and chanting Advent chants. A reception will follow in McDonald Hall. For more information, contact the music office at (501) 374-2794.

'Messiah' to be performed in Little Rock Nov. 30: The Arkansas Choral Society will present its 78th annual performance of Handel's "Messiah" at 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 30 at First Baptist Church in Little Rock. The chorus will be accompanied by the Arkansas Symphony, and the chorus of Central High School will also participate. Tickets are $15 for adults and free for children. For tickets, call (501) 376-8484. Tickets are also available at the door.

Memorial: On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, students at St. Joseph High School in Pine Bluff broke ground for a memorial garden to Arkansas troops on the school property. The garden will serve as a reminder of all the troops that served in the armed forces since Arkansas became a state. "Veterans from the American Revolution, War of 1812 and the Arkansas troops that fought during the Civil War are always the first soldiers to be omitted or ignored, but this garden will include these forgotten heroes in the pantheon of those remembered by building this garden," said Ron Kelley, commander of The Jefferson Guard Historical Preservation Cadet Corps. The garden will be completed by Jan. 26, when a ceremony will be held honoring all veterans from Arkansas.

Staff member to join homeless shelter board: Tom Navin, director of social action and prison ministry, was recently named to the board of Our House. The organization in Little Rock provides the working homeless -- families and individuals -- with safe, clean, comfortable housing, food, free child care, education and job training in order that they may return to independence and lead productive lives.

Videoconferencing center opens at Springdale office: Through a $10,000 grant from the Daughters of Charity, the northwest office of Catholic Charities Immigration Services now benefits from a state-of-the-art training facility. In order to keep pace with rapidly changing immigration law and federally mandated training, Catholic Charities has installed a videoconferencing center with two large video screens and networking software in a Webinar-ready study room. The center also has a laptop computer, projector and screen for presentations. The center also will be used for community networking events.

National association comes to Arkansas: Catholic Charities of Arkansas is a member of the one of the nation's largest social service networks, Catholic Charities USA, whose membership of more than 250,000 staff and volunteers serves more than seven million people annually. This relationship provides the diocesan organization with connections that assist us to serve the people of Arkansas more effectively. During the first week of November, Robert Colbert, vice president of mission integration at CCUSA, visited all of the Catholic Charities programs in Arkansas. He listened to staff about their current services and their hopes for the future and began to provide links into the resources of the national system. National services include five main areas: networking through gatherings, specialty groups and Web-based discussion groups; training and consultation in the areas of leadership, mission and service, volunteerism, disaster and more; a national voice in advocacy, media relations and program development; financial assistance through shared donations, disaster relief grants and scholarships; and program development as needed by local Charities agencies. As CCUSA moves toward its 100th anniversary in 2010, three of its major programs revolve around cutting the poverty rate in the U.S. by 50 percent by the year 2020; addressing the link between poverty and racism; and providing guidance to local groups as they develop their code of ethics.

Neurosurgery suite opens in Fort Smith: St. Edward Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith unveiled its new neurosurgery suite Nov. 20. The neurosurgery suite is specially designed to accommodate cranial tumors and biopsies using Stealth (image guided navigation system), spinal cord tumors and other surgeries. St. Edward Mercy Medical Center anticipates performing 350 to 400 neurosurgeries in the first year. "This suite is important because it helps the entire surgical team retrieve and analyze vital patient data while performing the surgery," said Michelle Gasaway, director of surgery. St. Edward Mercy Medical Center performed the first surgery in the new suite in October. Currently, St. Edward Mercy Medical Center performs an average of 30 cases per month.

Tax-free IRA gift to charities possible : The Diocese of Little Rock's Stewardship and Development Office has information available for Catholics 70 1/2 years and older who want to make a tax-free IRA gift to the diocese before Dec. 31. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, which allows certain donors to make tax-free rollover gifts from traditional and Roth IRAs to charities. The IRA owner can direct up to $100,000 to the diocese without counting the distribution as taxable income. For more information, contact Dianne Brady at (501) 664-0340.

Praying at abortion clinic continuing in LR: Even though the fall campaign is over, organizers for the 40 Days for Life in Little Rock will be continuing to pray in front of the abortion clinic in west Little Rock. Marti Haslauer said participants are invited to pray during the hours when most of the abortions occur, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A "Gentle Rosary for Life" will be prayed at 9 a.m. each Saturday. Call Haslauer at (501) 221-9925 to commit to one hour a week or month.

Handmade baby items to be collected in December: The Ladies of Charity of Arkansas is sponsoring a special holiday project called "Christmas Baskets for Babies." Baskets will contain items such as layettes, handmade sweaters, blankets, quilts and hats. Baskets are to be distributed to families in need in Pulaski County in December. To donate one of the baby items, to make a monetary donation or if you have a skill as a knitter, crocheter or quilter, contact layette/quilting co-chairwoman Laura Miller at (501) 213-7126.

Mission trip: Members of the Conway Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Central Arkansas visited St. Mary Church in McGehee Oct. 24-26 for a mission trip and retreat. Led by Deacon Richard Papini, the group held a holy hour with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Friday evening. On Saturday, in cooperation with the McGehee-based Southeast Arkansas Home Rehabilitators, the students painted the house of a poor family. In the evening they joined the parishioners of St. Mary Church for Mass. On Sunday morning, the young Catholics visited the local nursing home with song and prayer. This was the fifth year the UCA missionaries have visited southeast Arkansas.

Immigration staffer gets Wal-Mart award : Maria Miller, the Violence Against Women Act program coordinator for Catholic Charities Immigration Service in Springdale, was recently recognized as one of 10 Héroes de Corazón (Heroes of the Heart) by the Hispanic Latino Associate Resource Group at Wal-Mart. Miller works with immigrants who are victims of domestic violence. Each year, the program receives nominations from the community and awards medals to 10 winners.

November is national Adoption Month : Adoption has positively touched the lives of many families throughout the diocese. Each new child is a celebration of life and a beautiful part of God's plan. A family experiencing the pain of a problem pregnancy and a couple grieving from infertility can be joined together in their mutual love for the newborn baby. Catholic Adoption Services needs one special family to be a temporary foster home for an infant awaiting adoptive placement. Birth parents have 10 days to be sure about their decision to place their child for adoption. Sometimes it is most appropriate for the child to be in one of our exceptional and loving, short-term licensed foster homes. If you are someone or you know someone who can function well without a lot of sleep and wants to participate in this labor of love, call director Antje Harris at (501) 664-0340 for more information. We need a family who lives in the Little Rock area, has a flexible schedule, and is not trying to add to their family by adoption. Medical and parenting experience is also appreciated.

Two clinic volunteers win awards this fall: Two volunteers for the Westside Free Medical Clinic in Little Rock were recently honored for community service. Dr. J. Michael Carney was awarded a Spirit of Excellence Award from the Arkansas Association of Charitable Clinics for his service to the clinic. The American College of Nurse Practitioners awarded Dr. Carmen Paniagua with the 2008 ACNP Community Service Award.

Father Elliott to lead Day of Recollection Dec. 4 : St. Scholastica Retreat Center in Fort Smith will present an Advent Day of Recollection led by Father Tom Elliott, pastor of Christ the King Church, also in Fort Smith, on Thursday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advent is a special time for spiritual preparation. The day of recollection will give participants an opportunity to learn more about the spiritual home of one's hearts and give them time to prayerfully begin preparing for Christmas. The cost is $35 with a $15 deposit due on registration. For more information, call (479) 783-1135 or visit www.stscho.org/retreats.

Associate editor: Arkansas Catholic in Little Rock is seeking an associate editor for its publications. The associate editor would contribute stories and photos to the diocesan weekly newspaper as well as the diocesan newsletter, Arkansas Catholic en Espanol, which is published 10 times a year. The ideal candidate would be Catholic and have:
- Excellent reporting, writing and photography skills and experience filing stories on deadline.
- At least two years of experience writing and editing in English and Spanish
- A bachelor's degree in journalism/communications or equivalent experience
- Excellent communication and translation skills
- Knowledge of Hispanic/Latino community and Catholic faith
This full-time position includes competitive pay and benefits. The person would be required to work from the Arkansas Catholic office at St. John Center in Little Rock. Send cover letter, resume and published clips to Malea Hargett, Editor, Arkansas Catholic, P.O. Box 7417, Little Rock, AR 72217 or mhargett@dolr.org. For more information or a complete job description, call (501) 664-0125.

Vocations retreat will be held in Little Rock Jan. 2-3: The Diocese of Little Rock Vocations Office will host a Come and See weekend at St. John Center in Little Rock Jan. 2-3. All single Catholic men who are in 10th grade and older and are discerning a call to the priesthood are invited to attend. The bilingual retreat is free. For more information or to register, call Msgr. Scott Friend at (501) 664-0340.

Student pro-life oratory and essay contests to be held: Arkansas Right to Life is promoting an oratory contest and essay contest for junior high and senior high students. The 2009 Jane B. Thompson Oratory Contest is open to all high school junior and senior students. Students must research and write a five to seven-minute speech to be presented as an oration on one of the following topics: abortion, infanticide, euthanasia or stem-cell research. Arkansas regional winners receive cash and an opportunity to participate in state competition. National winners will be awarded cash prizes. The deadline to enter is Feb. 15. For more information, official rules and entry form contact Arkansas Right to Life at www.artl.org and click on "pro-life contests" or call Rose Mimms at (501) 663-4237. The 2009 National Right to Life Pro-Life Essay Contest is divided into two categories, the senior essay contest for grades 10-12 and the junior essay contest for students in grades 7-9. The first-place winner gets $200, second place gets $150 and the third-place winner earns $100. All essays should answer the question: "How has the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand impacted your generation?" For more information, e-mail Michelle Fischbach at michellelfishbach@yahoo.com, or visit the National Right to Life Web site at www.nrlc.org and look under "special events."

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. 361, 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, Dr. Carol Siemon, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 416.
Diocesan Offices
2500 N. Tyler St.
Little Rock, AR 72207

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