NLR parishioner accepted as diocesan seminarian

Diocese to host priestly ordinations for six men in 2017

Published: August 25, 2016

Brian Williams

Brian Williams, a recent graduate of Catholic High School in Little Rock, has been accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Little Rock.

Currently 34 men are studying for the priesthood, down from 44 seminarians in 2015.

Williams, 19, son of Edward and Shannon Williams, attends Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock. He currently lives at the House of Formation in Little Rock and studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Six seminarians are scheduled to be ordained priests in 2017:

• Deacon Martin Siebold, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in North Little Rock (Marche)

• Deacon Michael Johns, Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro

• Deacon William Burmester, St. Joseph Church in Conway

• Deacon Stephen Hart, Christ the King Church in Little Rock

• Deacon Ramses Mendieta, Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock

• Deacon Luke Womack, St. Mary Church in Hot Springs.

Other returning seminarians are:

• Tuyen Ngoc Do, Luis Ruiz, Nathan Ashburn, John Paul Hartnedy, Patrick Friend, Joseph de Orbegozo, Stephen Elser, Jeff Hebert, Martin Amaro, Jon Miskin, Emmanuel Torres, Joseph Friend, Daniel Wendel, Isidro Negrete, Ben Riley and Brian Cundall, all of Little Rock

• Omar Galvan of Fort Smith

• Keith Higginbotham of North Little Rock

• Mark Johns of Jonesboro

• Nelson Rubio of Hot Springs Village

• David Aguilar and Jaime Nieto of Springdale

• Alex Smith of Jacksonville

• Daniel Velasco Perez of Searcy

• Daniel Ramos of Benton

• Tito Zarate of Dardanelle

• Daniel Mayorga of Mountain Home

Two men are currently “discerners” living at the House of Formation. They are Seburne James, a member of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, and John Marconi, a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Crawfordsville.