August 16, 2018
My brothers and sisters in Christ,

Like all of you, I was horrified three weeks ago when I learned about ex-Cardinal McCarrick’s misdeeds. I had met him briefly only once and, of course, suspected nothing. I certainly would never have dreamed that it would have been possible that others could have known about his personal history and still allowed him to remain in ministry, much less advance in the hierarchy of the Church. Upon learning of his suspension from the exercise of public ministry I issued a statement asking for prayers for his victims and all involved. I also reminded everyone of the importance of the safe environment policies of our diocese and repeated my desire to provide assistance to anyone who has been abused by a priest or any other representative of the Church. And now, just when I thought nothing could be worse than a cardinal who actually abused minors himself, we learned this week of the devastating results of the grand jury investigation of abuse by clergy in Pennsylvania — more than 300 cases going back over the span of 70 years. While it is true that the overwhelming majority of these were prior to the implementation in 2002 of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the discovery that criminal acts of this magnitude occurred so frequently prior to that, and that these crimes were often concealed by the very bishops who should have been the victims’ most ardent advocates, is unspeakably disheartening. This is as hard for me to accept as it is for many of you. People have asked me, “How do I explain this to my non-Catholic friends?” All I can say is that Judas was one of the 12 apostles and there is a bit of Judas in every one of us. We are a Church of sinners and Satan prowls the world seeking the ruin of souls, but more powerful that any evil is the power of the Holy Spirit who continues to guide us in every age. Over the course of the past 2,000 years the Church has been buffeted by storms and scandals of every sort, but the Lord continues to be in our midst and our faith is in him, not in any single priest, bishop or cardinal.

Sincerely in Christ,
+Anthony B. Taylor
Bishop of Little Rock 


16 de agosto, 2018

Mis hermanos y hermanas en Cristo: 

Como todos ustedes, me sentí horrorizado hace tres semanas cuando me enteré de las fechorías del ex Cardenal McCarrick. Lo vi brevemente en una sola ocasión y, por supuesto, no sospeché nada. Y ciertamente nunca se me hubiese ocurrido que fuera posible que otros supieran de su historia personal y aun así le permitieran permanecer en el ministerio, y mucho menos que avanzara en la jerarquía de la Iglesia. Una vez que me enteré de su suspensión del ejercicio del ministerio público, emití una declaración pidiendo oraciones por sus víctimas y por todos los involucrados. También les recordé a todos sobre la importancia de la política de ambiente seguro de nuestra diócesis y reiteré mi deseo de proveer ayuda a cualquier persona que haya sido abusada por un sacerdote o cualquier otro representante de la Iglesia. Y ahora, justo cuando pensaba que nada podría ser peor que un cardenal que efectivamente abusó de un menor, nos enteramos esta semana sobre los devastadores resultados de la investigación del gran jurado sobre el abuso por parte del clero en Pensilvania — más de 300 casos durante los últimos 70 años. Aunque es verdad que la gran mayoría de estos casos ocurrieron antes de la implementación en 2002 del Estatuto para la Protección de Niños y Jóvenes de Dios, el descubrir que actos criminales de esta magnitud ocurrieron tan frecuentemente antes que eso, y que estos crímenes fueron ocultados a menudo por los mismos obispos que debieron haber sido los más fervientes defensores de las víctimas, es inefablemente desalentador. Esto es tan difícil para mí de aceptar como lo es para muchos de ustedes. Las personas me han preguntado: “¿Cómo les explico esto a mis amigos que no son católicos?” Todo lo que puedo decir es que Judas fue uno de los 12 apóstoles y hay un poco de Judas en cada uno de nosotros. Somos una Iglesia de pecadores y Satanás acecha el mundo buscando arruinar las almas, pero más poderoso que cualquier mal es el poder del Espíritu Santo quien continúa guiándonos en cada etapa. En el transcurso de los últimos 2,000 años la Iglesia ha sido sacudida por las tormentas de los escándalos de todo tipo, pero el Señor continúa presente entre nosotros y nuestra fe está en él, no en un solo sacerdote, obispo o cardenal.

Sinceramente en Cristo,

+Anthony B. Taylor
Obispo de Little Rock 

Greetings to All,
 
Each September as we collect scholarship donations, I say a prayer for the success of each student because I know each of them will face challenges which will present the potential for them to fail to complete their studies. These young ladies never let us down! All eight of them have, once again, completed the school year and passed to the next grade. Alphoncine Keita deserves special recognition because she finished fourth in her class of 37 students. Valerie Diarra also did a great job, finishing seventh in her class of 54 students. I  know you are very proud of them as they are very grateful for your faith in them and your generosity. I, too, am very thankful for your faithfulness to the Mali Scholarship Project. As these girls mature and look back on what you have done for them, they will tell their children about the difference you made in their lives. I continue to appreciate the great work of my partner, Adama Konate, our Project Director.
 
Best Regards,
Larry Boyd Nutt
 
Legend Treks…..Born to Serve

 

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To learn more about on line giving please go to this website WeSHARE.

If you ever have to miss Mass because of the weather or illness, here are some tips to keep your Sabbath holy.

• Read the Sunday Mass readings.
• Watch or listen to Mass on EWTN. Check your cable or satellite provider for the channel.
• Pray for the intentions of Pope Francis alone or with your family.

IMPORTANT:

• Fr. Andy and most other pastors advise that a priority for your safety and the safety of people on whom you might cough, excuses missing Sunday Mass for serious illness such as a chronic cough. Please if you have a chronic cough stay home and take care of yourself. And above all PLEASE avoid drinking from the cup until your cough or condition is gone. 

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Summer is well upon us and the new school season will begin before we know it. Along with these dog days of summer comes the time to start thinking about the upcoming RCIA year!
Who needs to consider the RCIA program?

1. Anyone who is not baptized or from another denomination.
2. Any Catholic person who is missing any of their sacraments.
3. Anyone, Catholic or otherwise who wants to learn more about our faith.
4. Any Catholic who is in proper standing within the church who would like to be a sponsor for our inquirers.

We will meet on Wednesday evenings in the church hall. Mass begins at 6:30 and class starts at 7:00. All participants will be provided with everything they need to be in the program. My team and I will provide a full meal for all attendees. Babysitting is available for anyone who needs this service and all materials are provided for you to deepen your understanding of all the lessons we will present.
This program aims to educate all seekers about the truths and doctrines of the Catholic Church. We look forward to accompanying you on your journey of faith and want to share in your experience in this journey.
Our first class will be held on August 30 at 7:00pm in the church hall, we look forward to meeting all who are interested in this course.
RCIA Team,
Ann Gallegos
RCIA Director

LANDINGS
 

Register for PRE click here

In case of inclement weather please check our website and television for updates. If Jacksonville North Pulaski School District is closed St Jude is closed and there will be no Mass that day.