Page 29 - Catholic Extension Magazine Spring 2020
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Extension | Spring 2020 29
“Our diocese has been mis- fortunate so many people are now Monsignor Friend (right of podium) and
sionary from the beginning,” he stepping up to serve.” fellow priests visit Catholic High School for
said. “We were founded in 1843 on Boys in Little Rock to engage young people
the same day that the dioceses of INCREASING PRIESTLY VOCATIONS in the Church.
Chicago, Milwaukee and Hartford, The diocese is making great to this boom, including the men-
Connecticut, were founded—but strides in inspiring new priests. torship of Monsignor Scott Friend,
unlike these others, we are rural With 19 ordinations in the last the vocations director since 2005,
and spread out, with priests cover- three years, Little Rock leads the who brings stability and continuity.
ing many small churches. It’s been nation in numbers of ordinations Monsignor Friend visits
part of our character all along.” among the dioceses that Catholic youth programs, planting the
Bishop Taylor acknowledges Extension supports. Vocations seed of vocations early. “We
that Pope Francis’ call to go to the have doubled since Bishop Taylor introduce young people to peer
peripheries has encouraged his arrived and he has ordained half ministry and being part of a faith
own missionary zeal. “Serving the the diocesan priests currently community,” he said. “We foster
peripheries is so important,” he ministering. With diocesan, reli- enthusiasm for being part of the
said. “In Arkansas, we have great gious order and missionary priests, Church.”
distances between Catholics here. the diocese now has 121 priests At the local high schools, he
We have 75 counties in the state. serving. Their average age, of 49 holds vocational signing events,
Eight of those counties have no years, stands in contrast to the similar to what athletes do for
Catholic churches and 34 counties national average age of 63 years. a sports team, so high school
have no resident priest. We are Many factors have contributed seniors can sign a letter of intent
