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Over the August 8-9 weekend Monsignor Scott Friend, the Vicar General and Vocations Director for the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, visited Sacred Heart along with seven seminarians. Monsignor Friend conducted all of the weekend masses. Following each of the masses there was an informal gathering in the Lower Hall, and it included wine and cheese on Saturday evening with coffee and donuts on Sunday morning. The seminarians were introduced, and each gave a brief summary of his background. Parishioners were given the opportunity to ask questions of both the seminarians and Monsignor Friend.
Monsignor Friend thanked the parishioners for their prayers and support which have resulted in many new young men entering the seminary over the past few years. Currently, the Little Rock Dioceses has 27 men in various levels of study for the priesthood, which is the most that have been in the program since the 1960’s. Monsignor Friend plans to grow the program in the years ahead, and he expects eight new seminarians to begin within the next year.
Accompanying Monsignor Friend were Deacon Ruben Quintero and seminarians Guillermo Caballero, Jose Luis Galvain, Juan Guido, David Mora, Luis Pacheco and Jerry Wilkerson. Guillermo (3rd from left) has been adopted by Monsignor Malone for the Sacred Heart Parish to support during his studies.