Msgr. Malone to get 2015 Distinguished Pastor Award

Published: March 4, 2015

Msgr. Francis I. Malone, pastor of Christ the King Parish and School in Little Rock, will receive the 2015 Distinguished Pastor Award from the National Catholic Educational Association for his dedication and commitment to excellence.

The Distinguished Pastors will be recognized during the annual NCEA Convention & Expo April 7-9 in Orlando, Fla. Pastors, principals and teachers who have demonstrated a strong Catholic educational philosophy as well as exceptional ability, dedication and results, will be honored during the annual awards ceremony. Also being recognized will be home and school associations whose excellent programs are outstanding contributions to Catholic elementary schools.

“Catholic elementary schools have a rich tradition of dedicated pastors who inspire their communities with their leadership,” said Jim King, interim director of the Elementary Schools Department. “These awardees are a blessing to their communities. Catholic education reaches deserving families because of these pastors’ guidance and support.”

Msgr. Malone states in the Christ the King School handbook, “The first goal of our school is to teach and live the doctrines of Jesus Christ. Our second goal is to offer a fine academic program. We believe that these two goals complement one another, working together to form the whole person.”

Msgr. Malone’s commitment and philosophy of Catholic education comes from his own Catholic education that began when he was a child attending Catholic schools in Philadelphia. While in town for the NCEA convention in Baltimore, Msgr. Malone took his teachers to Washington, D.C. to meet his former second-grade teacher at her current parish. He taught religion at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock during his early years as a priest.

The recent capital campaign at Christ the King prioritized the needs of the school, particularly the building of a storm shelter to hold 800 people and learning suites to support the school’s learning assistance program.