FORT SMITH — River Valley Catholic Families, a new homeschool group, has begun deep-dive studies of the Mass, led by Christ the King pastor Father Brian Cundall. 

“We began with four founding families,” parent Katie Sharum said. “We all attended different Fort Smith parishes and met at a completely different homeschool group. We were thrilled to find like-minded women whom we could connect with on a deeper spiritual level. We are all passionate about teaching our children about our rich Catholic faith and decided to set up a monthly playdate where we could practice liturgical living.”

Sharum, who has 7-year-old twins and a 4-year-old, is relatively new to homeschooling, while co-founder Shari McCoy has sent four of her five homeschooled children off to college and currently homeschools her 10-year-old daughter. 

“We have belonged to a few Catholic homeschool groups over the years,” she said. “Now that I have a classroom of one, it’s great to have a homeschool community to celebrate the feast days and traditions of our Catholic faith.”

Father Cundall said he sees the role of the parish as a support to the already rich Catholic education the homeschooling parents provide. Homeschooled children also attend PRE classes each week in their own parishes and participate in parish youth programs. 

“Here at Christ the King, we have simply helped by providing a place where they can meet and get together,” Father Cundall said. “In our deep-dive sessions, we are slowly going through the Mass, and after that we will probably find a new topic to start on. I love the opportunity to teach the kids. Parents are the first teachers of the faith, so I want to help them in their mission.”

The sessions are geared to 5- to 10-year-olds, but there are older and younger children in the mix. The group has 16 families from Van Buren to Waldron, and there are usually about 30 children at group meetings. In addition to the deep-dive sessions, the group meets each month to celebrate feast days at Christ the King and other local churches.

“In August, we will meet at St. Michael’s in Van Buren to celebrate the Assumption,” Sharum said. “Parents take turns setting up feast day lessons with related craft activities and snacks. We try to engage the kids visually, auditorily and kinesthetically in faith-based activities. For the Assumption, we are making whipped cream desserts resembling clouds, doing crafts and discussing how we can bring the celebration into our domestic home churches.”

The group has taken field trips to parks, Subiaco Abbey and the labyrinth at St. Scholastica Monastery. Because St. Boniface School is closed, their playground is available to the group, and pastor Father Mario Jacobo is eager to help them in any way he can.

Early in the pandemic, every child had virtual learning but has since returned to in-person schooling. When Sharum sent her now 7-year-olds to preschool, homeschooling wasn’t on her mind. 

“I only made it through half a year at preschool,” she said. “I volunteered in the classroom and tried to be present, but I realized that I was missing some of the best parts of their days, and I could just do this, integrate education into their days at home. They are now going into second grade, and each year we will pray and discern about our three children’s educations, but we are doing what we believe is best right now. All of the kids in our group enjoy extracurricular activities. My kids are active in karate, gymnastics, swim team, computer coding, piano, and pottery classes.”

The founding group, which also includes Erin Lachowsky and Natalie Jordan, welcome other homeschooling families to join them for support, community and faith-building. For more information, contact ktea1989@gmail.com.

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced the following pastoral appointments.

Effective May 25

• Rev. Frank V. DuPreez relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Pine Bluff; Holy Cross Church in Sheridan and St Mary Church in Plum Bayou, to cover St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fayetteville from May 25-June 14, after which time he will return to South Africa to continue his ministry in his home Diocese of Cape Town.
• Rev. Joseph Marconi appointed pastor of St. Joseph Church in Pine Bluff, Holy Cross Church in Sheridan, St. Mary Church in Plum Bayou and prison ministry in Pine Bluff. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of Christ the King Church in Little Rock.

Effective June 14

• Rev. Leon Ngandu Wa Tshianga, SVD, relieved of his responsibilities as administrator of St. Patrick Church and St. Mary Church in North Little Rock and as hospital chaplain at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock (effective June 1) to continue his ministry with the Society of Divine Word.
• Rev. Jack Vu appointed pastor of St. Patrick Church in North Little Rock. This is in addition to his current responsibilities as rector of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, and as minister to the Vietnamese community in Little Rock.
• Rev. Francis Damoah, SVD, appointed pastor of St. Mary Church in North Little Rock. This is in addition to his current responsibilities as pastor of St. Bartholomew Church in Little Rock, and St. Augustine Church in North Little Rock. He is relieved of his responsibilities as hospital chaplain at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock (effective, June 1.)
• Dc. Charles “Chuck” Ashburn appointed assistant director for development and academic advising in the Office of Vocations and Seminarians in the Diocese of Little Rock. This is in addition to his current responsibilities as deacon at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Catholic High School for Boys and the House of Formation. He is relieved of his responsibilities as diocesan director of faith formation and diocesan director of permanent diaconate formation.
• Rev. Erik Pohlmeier appointed director of faith formation and permanent diaconate formation in the Diocese of Little Rock, with residence at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock.
• Rev. John Marconi appointed pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Conway.
• Rev. Anthony Robbins appointed pastor of St. Joseph Church in Conway. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Louis Church in Camden; and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Magnolia.
• Rev. Alfhones Perikala, a priest of the Diocese of Nellore, India, appointed associate pastor of St. Joseph Church in Conway.
• Rev. Mariadass Vallapaneni appointed associate pastor of St. Joseph Church in Conway. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church and Blessed John Newman University Parish in Jonesboro.
• Rev. Balaraju Desam, a priest of the Diocese of Nellore, India, appointed associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church and Blessed John Newman University Parish in Jonesboro.
• Rev. Rajasekhar Chappidi relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Malvern, Good Shepherd Church in Fordyce and St. Mary Church in Arkadelphia, to continue his ministry in his home Diocese of Nellore, India.
• Rev. Phillip Reaves appointed pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Malvern, Good Shepherd Church in Fordyce and St. Mary Church in Arkadelphia. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Stuttgart and Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Slovak.
• Rev. Shaun Wesley appointed pastor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Slovak and from administrator to pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Carlisle and Holy Trinity Church in England.
• Rev. Clayton Gould appointed pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Stuttgart. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Michael Church in Van Buren.
• Rev. C. Richard “Rick” Hobbs, III, appointed administrator of St. Michael Church in Van Buren. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of St. Stephen Church in Bentonville; and as administrator of St. John the Evangelist Church in Huntsville.
• Rev. Francis Madanu, a priest of the Diocese of Nellore, India, appointed associate pastor of St. Stephen Church in Bentonville.
• Rev. Mathew Vianney Malapati Santhaiah relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Albert Church in Heber Springs. He remains pastor of St. James Church in Searcy and St. Richard Church in Bald Knob.
• Rev. Felix Chirapurahtel, O. Praem., appointed administrator of St. Albert Church in Heber Springs and associate pastor for Hispanic Ministry at St. Mary Church in Batesville. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Blytheville and St. Matthew Church in Osceola.
• Rev. Thomas J. "T.J." Hart appointed pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Blytheville and St. Matthew Church in Osceola. He is relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in North Little Rock (Marche).
• Rev. Rubén Quinteros appointed administrator of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in North Little Rock (Marche). He is relieved of his responsibilities as prefect of the House of Formation in Little Rock.
• Dc. Richard Taryn Whittington, to be ordained to the priesthood on May 28, appointed prefect of the House of Formation in Little Rock.
• Dc. Norman McFall, to be ordained to the priesthood on May 28, appointed associate pastor for Hispanic Ministry at Christ the King Church in Fort Smith, and hospital chaplain at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith.
• Dc. Mario Jacobo, to be ordained to the priesthood on May 28, appointed associate pastor of St. Theresa Church in Little Rock.
• Dc. Joseph Tan Chan, to be ordained to the priesthood on May 28, will study at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., this summer from June 2-Aug. 4. He is appointed associate pastor of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock and St. Patrick Church in North Little Rock, effective Aug. 5.
• Rev. Ravi Gudipalli relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Booneville and St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Waldron, to continue his ministry in his home Diocese of Nellore, India.
• Rev. Alejandro Puello appointed administrator of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Booneville and St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Waldron. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers.
• Dc. Stephen Joseph Gadberry, to be ordained to the priesthood on May 28, appointed associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers.
• Rev. John Miranda appointed administrator of St. John the Evangelist Church in Huntsville. This is in addition to his current responsibilities as associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers.
• Rev. Lourduswamy Dhanraj Narla relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Mary Church in Batesville and St. Cecilia in Newport to cover St. Louis Church in Camden and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Magnolia from June 14-30, after which time he will continue his ministry in his home Diocese of Nellore, India.
• Rev. Polycarp Ssebbowa appointed administrator of St. Mary Church in Batesville and St. Cecilia Church in Newport. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate of St. James Church in Searcy, St. Albert Church in Heber Springs and St. Richard Church in Bald Knob.
• Rev. Thomas C. Marks appointed chaplain at Carmel of St. Teresa of Jesus in Little Rock, hospital chaplain at UAMS and VA Hospitals in Little Rock, with residence at Catholic High in Little Rock. He remains associate pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock.

Effective July 1

• Rev. Robert Cigainero appointed administrator of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Magnolia and St. Louis Church in Camden. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of St. Joseph Church in Conway effective June 13.

Effective Aug. 5

• Rev. Silvio D’Ostilio, CSSp, relieved of his responsibilities as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Center Ridge, to return to his religious community.
• Rev. Joseph Shantiraj appointed pastor of St. Joseph Church in Center Ridge. He is relieved of his responsibilities as associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Fort Smith, effective June 20. He will be covering St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish in Fayetteville from June 21-Aug. 4.

Effective Aug. 22

• Dc. Marcelino Luna appointed associate director of faith formation in the Diocese of Little Rock. He is relieved of his responsibilities as diocesan director of Hispanic Ministry.
• Sr. Norma Edith Muñoz, MCP, appointed director of Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Little Rock.

Seven new seminarians joined the Diocese of Little Rock this year, keeping the number of men currently studying to become priests at 44.

While the diocese has experienced larger increases in seminarians in the state over the past decade, the number leveled off this year. From 2005 to 2015 the seminarian enrollment increased 65 percent, according to diocesan statistics.

Vocations director Msgr. Scott Friend said the diocese could see its largest ordination class ever in 2018 with eight new priests. The average age of a diocesan priest is projected to drop to 48 years old. When Msgr. Friend was ordained in 1987, he said the average priest was 67 years old.

“We have a very different future than we did just a few years ago,” he said.

The new seminarians this fall are:

• Nathan Ashburn, 26, son of Deacon Chuck and Juliann Ashburn. They are members of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. Ashburn will study through the House of Formation in Little Rock.
• Tito Zarate, 18, son of Tito and Carmen Zarate. They attend St. Augustine Church in Dardanelle. He also is studying at the House of Formation.
• Mark Johns, 19, son of Michael and Julie Johns, now of Baton Rouge, La. Johns, formerly of Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro, is the brother of seminarian Michael Johns. He is studying at Conception Seminary College in Missouri.
• John Paul Hartnedy, 18, son of Deacon Danny and Stephanie Hartnedy. They are members of St. Edward Church in Little Rock. He will also study at Conception Seminary College.
• Daniel Mayorga, 27, son of Darlen Victoria Soto Cortas of Colombia. He will study through the House of Formation.
• Luis Ruiz, 27, son of Javier and Damaris Ruiz of Colombia. He is studying at the House of Formation.
• One seminarian joined the diocese in January. Tuyen Ngoc Do, 38, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is originally from Vietnam. He is the son of the late Tam Quang Do and Lieu Thi Tran. He is attending Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corner, Wis.

Six seminarians who were ordained deacons in 2014 and 2015 are scheduled to become priests in 2016. They are:

• Deacons Luis Miguel Pacheco, Mario Jacobo and Taryn Whittington, all of Little Rock
• Deacon Joseph Chan of Fort Smith
• Deacon Norman McFall of Pine Bluff
• Deacon Stephen Gadberry of Wynne

Other returning seminarians include:

n Stephen Hart, Patrick Friend, Joseph de Orbegozo, Stephen Elser, Jeff Hebert, Martin Amaro, Jon Miskin, Emmanuel Torres, Joseph Friend, Daniel Wendel, Isidro Negrete, Patrick Saint-Jean, Ben Riley and Brian Cundall, all of Little Rock

• Omar Galvan of Fort Smith
• Martin Siebold, Keith Higginbotham and Ramses Mendieta of North Little Rock
• Michael Johns of Jonesboro
• William Burmester of Conway
• Robert Smith of Fayetteville
• Luke Womack of Hot Springs
• Nelson Rubio of Hot Springs Village
• Michael Davis of Rogers
• David Aguilar and Jaime Nieto of Springdale
• Alex Smith and Vince Kozlowski of Jacksonville
• Daniel Velasco Perez of Searcy
• Daniel Ramos of Benton
• John Taylor of Fort Worth, Texas

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Mario Jacobo and Taryn Whittington are on similar paths to the priesthood.

Both men are 37 years old, born 20 days apart, and attend St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. They followed various career paths until their 30s when they listened to the Lord’s calling to become priests. On May 28 the pair was ordained transitional deacons at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor.

They are expected to be ordained priests in May 2016.

During the bilingual Mass, Bishop Taylor delivered a personal homily standing in front of his bishop’s chair with the two men  seated in folding chairs directly in front of him.

“Both of you were raised in deeply Christian homes and the seed of faith in Jesus was planted in you early on,” he said. “Mario, you had the blessing of a very supportive mother who relied on the Lord amid the many challenges she faced raising you as a single parent.  Taryn, you on the other hand, had the blessing of being raised in a solid Christian home in which both parents were present, and the even greater blessing of having a father who is the pastor of a Pentecostal church. Taryn, it is a special grace from God that you have a father who can share with you a wealth of pastoral experience as you begin your own life of public ministry in the vineyard of the Lord.”

Whittington said, “I really enjoyed the bishop’s homily. It was very sensitive. It was very personal to sit so close … He didn’t want to speak to us over this great distance. He wanted to make eye contact. I thought he did a really wonderful job.”

Whittington grew up in Scott (Pulaski County) and worshipped in the Pentecostal church where his father was a minister. He converted to Catholicism in 2000 while attending Hendrix College in Conway.

“When I was in college I kind of drifted (away from the Pentecostal faith) for a few years after I graduated high school,” he said.

He earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in philosophy at Baylor University in Texas. He taught philosophy at Malone University in Ohio for several years while discerning his call to the priesthood. He spent time discerning with a religious order, but eventually decided he was called to remain in Arkansas as a diocesan priest.

The Rev. Richard and Regina Whittington sat on the front row with their son.

“I was nervous,” he said of his parent’s acceptance of his ordination. “I didn’t know if it would be hard for them to see me get ordained. They seemed to be very happy there. It in some ways broke the ice.”

In the congregation were Susan and Leon Holmes, members of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock, who met Whittington through a mutual friend and have been praying for him.

“He is outstanding,” Susan Holmes said. “The diocese has a real gem in him … He is going to make a marvelous priest.”

Whittington, a member of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, will be assigned this summer to St. Edward Church in Little Rock while teaching a philosophy course to seminarians at the House of Formation.

Jacobo became active in St. Clement Church in Calhoun, Ga., after high school. The Spanish-speaking community was growing, but the pastor was not fluent in Spanish. Jacobo attended Masses and other sacraments and translated for the priest. He eventually volunteered as the parish youth minister while working as a manager at a carpet store.

His mother Maria Urtes raised him alone, along with his two sisters.

“I knew in high school (that he wanted to be a priest),” she said. “He liked to go to church and he played the guitar in the youth group at church. That is when I knew…. I feel really happy. It was a gift from God (that he was ordained today).”

He entered St. Joseph Seminary in Covington, La., in 2008 to study for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. While in the seminary, he met Diocese of Little Rock vocations director Msgr. Scott Friend.

“He met my spiritual needs at that moment,” he said. “I knew he spoke Spanish, and I needed to speak to someone in my own language. In the spiritual things, you need to speak in your own language, I think.”

After much prayer, Jacobo transferred to Arkansas in 2011 and joined Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock. Jacobo said his family and pastor, Father Joseph Shaute, who attended the diaconate ordination, have accepted that his calling took away from the Atlanta archdiocese.

The litany when the new deacons lay prostrate and the laying on of hands were the two most important moments of the Mass for Jacobo.

“That was very powerful,” he said. “Something happened. It was one of those feelings I don’t know how to describe.”

The seminarian count continues to climb for the Diocese of Little Rock.

With seven new seminarians, the diocese now has 44 seminarians.

The new seminarians are:

• Daniel Velasco Perez, 40, a member of St. James Church in Searcy. He is the son of Ismael and Maria del Carmen Velasco and will attend St. Meinrad Seminary.

• Isidro Negrete, 18, a member of St. Edward Church in Little Rock. He will study at the House of Formation in Little Rock. He is the son of Miguel and Manuela Negrete.

• José Jaime Nieto Bautista, 25, a member of St. Raphael Church in Springdale. He will study at the House of Formation in Little Rock. He is the son of María del Carmen Nieto Bautista and Jaime Ramírez González.

• Vince Kozlowski, 21, a member of St. Jude Church in Jacksonville. He will study at the House of Formation in Little Rock. He is the son of Vincent and Julie Kozlowski.

• Daniel Wendel, 18, a member of Christ the King Church in Little Rock. He will study at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas. He is the son of Dr. Paul and Kathleen Wendel.

• Chandler Donaldson, 18, a member of Christ the King Church in Little Rock. The son of Greg and Christie Donaldson will study at Holy Trinity Seminary.

• Nelson Rubio, 33, of Maracaibo, Venezuela. He will study at the House of Formation in Little Rock. He is the son of Nelson Rubio and Carmen Villalobos.

Joining the seminarians in January was Ben Riley, 20, a member of Christ the King Church in Little Rock who has been studying at the House of Formation in Little Rock. He is the son of Dr. Richard and Melanie Riley.

Returning seminarians are:

• Deacon Jack Sidler of Barling, who will be ordained a priest Dec. 20 at Subiaco Abbey.

• Luis Miguel Pacheco, Mario Jacobo, Taryn Whittington, Stephen Hart, Patrick Friend, Joseph de Orbegozo, Stephen Elser, Jeff Hebert, Martin Amaro, Jonathan “Jon” Miskin, Emmanuel Torres, Joseph Friend, Alex Booth, Brian Cundall and Steven Kelley of Little Rock

• Dr. Joseph Chan and Omar Galvan of Fort Smith

• Martin Siebold and Keith Higginbotham of North Little Rock

• Norman McFall of Pine Bluff

• Stephen Gadberry of Wynne

• Michael Johns of Jonesboro

• William Burmester of Conway

• Robert Smith of Fayetteville

• Guillermo Caballero of Hot Springs Village

• Ramses Mendieta of Nicaragua 

• Daniel Ramos of Mexico

• Luke Womack and Karldy Isidor of Hot Springs

• Patrick Saint-Jean of Haiti

• John Taylor of Fort Worth, Texas

• Michael Davis of Rogers

• David Aguilar of Springdale

• Alex Smith of Jacksonville

• Cristian Andrade of Dardanelle

 

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