The following are some of the stories and columns that appeared only in the print and complete online editions of Arkansas Catholic. To read what you’re missing, subscribe today.
Coalition unveils Catholic Climate Covenant
WASHINGTON (CNS) -— Led by a coalition of more than a dozen Catholic organizations, religious communities are ramping up efforts to ensure that the legislative debate on climate change beginning April 22 in Congress will not overlook the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
Spring sacrament
Pastor Father Tom Elliott talks to the First Communicants about faith and Cocoa Puffs at Christ the King Church in Fort Smith Sunday, April 19. First Communion Masses are traditionally held following Easter. In 2008, 2,715 Catholics attended their First Communions in the Diocese of Little Rock. (Page 1 photo)
Fort Smith student wins online tournament
FORT SMITH — When Immaculate Conception School teacher Ann Cannon introduced her gifted and talented students to Wordigo, a timed vocabulary game combining elements from Scrabble and Boggle into a fast-paced critical thinking challenge, she never expected that one of her students would become the fourth- and fifth-grade division champion in the National Online Wordigo Tournament.
Priest not surprised by woman’s performance on British TV
LONDON (CNS) -— The audience snickered and the judges of “Britain’s Got Talent” either rolled their eyes or allowed their blank expressions to betray their bemused skepticism as the awkward-looking middle-aged woman told them she wanted to be as famous as the popular British actress and singer Elaine Paige.
Grieving son builds foundation of church marking 100 years
EUREKA SPRINGS — The Catholic faith in Carroll County has its humble beginnings in 1879 in a pine grove, a frame church and six families struggling to support their tiny existence.
Jesus the Good Shepherd gives himself freely to care for his flock
Mary was not just a hired hand. True, she had been employed by my friend Barbara and her siblings to care for their enfeebled father Scott in his last years of life. But caring for the elderly man was more than a job to Mary — not because of any stipulation in her contract, not because she set high standards. It was simply because of who she was, and who he was to her. (Word to Life, Seeds of Faith)
Naples cardinal launches ‘bank of the poor’ from own pocket
ROME (CNS) -— Saying he wanted to give Easter hope to those “crucified on the cross of selfishness,” Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe of Naples announced he was setting up a microcredit lending institution and donating a year’s stipend and part of his savings to start it.
Behind public face is private heart to share
Plato said: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. What a world it would be if we all kept that in mind. (Columns)
Spend Mass time praying, not tweeting
We are all for using technology to evangelize. The Diocese of Little Rock regularly updates its Web site (www.dolr.org) with information for Catholics in Arkansas as well as those searching the Web for Church teachings and prayers. Through our Web site, people are asking questions about joining the Church and are interested in becoming prospective seminarians. Just look at what Bishop Anthony B. Taylor has been able to do on Facebook. He regularly posts his homilies for his 1,800 friends to see. (Editorial)
