Christopher Elser knew the path to becoming a priest and has followed it. On May 24, he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor at Christ the King Church in Little Rock, and will be ordained a priest in 2026.
His uncle, Father Bill Elser, was a presence in his family while living in Little Rock. Then, when he was in seventh grade, his brother Stephen entered the seminary.
As he watched his brother discern his calling and get ordained, Christopher was also discerning what the Lord wanted him to do.
Football was a big draw in his life. After graduating from Catholic High School, he enrolled in the University of Arkansas. The kicker still had a dream of playing Division 1 and tried out for the team in the spring of his freshman year in 2019.
He got a walk-on position for the spring roster, looking to play football the next fall.
“The thought of the priesthood was in the back of my mind,” he said. “I was still discerning it. But I decided that I would go and try out college and try to walk-on for the Razorback football team… I was very grateful for the experience because it actually strengthened my vocation to the priesthood. I truly believe because it was the first time really I was away from home….It really showed the authenticity of my faith and my desire to continue to practice my faith and to be surrounded with other people who are practicing their faith as well as St. Thomas Aquinas campus ministry…
“I was very grateful because it just showed that there’s a fire in my heart for the priesthood and to serve the Lord in this capacity. I wanted to do what I could to protect that flame in the midst of a college environment. It turned out to be a really providential year because it really showed me that the Lord is leading me to this path of seminary.”
Elser, 25, reached his dream of playing for the Razorbacks but chose the seminary instead.
“It was really clear this wasn’t for me, and I had a talk with one of the coaches and we just decided I wasn’t going to continue to play there,” he said. “I thought I was going to the University of Arkansas to play football, but the Lord was showing me you’re actually going here to show you I’m calling you to the priesthood.”
Elser enrolled in the seminary in 2019 at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio. In 2022, he transferred to St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana, where he will finish his studies in the fall.
For his diaconate ordination, his parents, Dr. Joseph Elser and Angie Elser, his two sisters and two younger brothers sat in the first row. Father Stephen Elser had a front row seat among the priests in attendance. Also in attendance was former Christ the King pastor, Bishop Francis I. Malone, who has served the Diocese of Shreveport since 2020 and has stayed in touch with the family.
“I think he has a servant’s heart,” his mother, Angie, said. “He has a deep love for Jesus and a deep love for Mary. It shows, and he sees Christ in others, and he tries to be Christ for others.”
When he isn’t in the classroom or serving in a parish, Elser said he prefers to be outdoors.
“I love just to go on walks,” he said. “I went on a camping trip to a national park with some seminarians during my college seminary, my senior year. I love the idea of being outside and seeing the beauty of God’s creation and being able to just appreciate the gift of creation that God has given.”
This summer, he is serving as a deacon at St. Mary Church in Batesville and St. Cecilia Church in Newport. Being able to baptize will be his greatest honor, he said.
“Baptism is the gateway to Christian life and the other sacraments,” he said. “The day that a person is baptized, they become a beloved son or daughter of God. To be a part of that and to witness this transformation, this person being born again in Christ, I think it’s going to be the coolest thing… It’s just mind-blowing to be able to be part of that.”
