The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock
Thank you! to the 2021 Guardian Angels.
The future of our Church depends on keeping a place in the hearts — and eyes — of young adults. Bombarded by secularity in every kind of electronic media, connecting with them means offering inspiration and news of the faith through the technology they use.
Guardian Angels membership supports technology, training, translation and other resources to help keep those young adults connected to the Church — and better serve all Catholics in the diocese at the same time.
Your membership, especially when joined with the support of other Guardian Angels, can help us reach Catholics across Arkansas whether they are devout or doubting, fervent or fallen-away. Here are a few examples:
Thanks to Guardian Angels, Arkansas Catholic was able to respond quickly when COVID-19 hit, to greatly expand online and virtual support for the faith of Catholics across the state.
Even before that, it's been possible to assure that engaging, faith-filled content is easy to find — for all ages. That includes posting on five social media platforms and work like:
• A podcast called Arkansas Catholic Asks interviews faith leaders about issues that matter to Arkansans.
• Developing video to show online and in parishes helps explain the diocese's new One Church initiative.
• Organizing Communications Day helps parishes and schools learn digital tools to spread the Gospel.
• The number of sessions and users reading the Arkansas Catholic website has more than doubled since 2011, attracting thousands of viewers every month from across the state and even around the world.
• Launching a digital edition of the newspaper — and making it free to everyone in 2019 — more than quadrupled the number of subscribers who get their complete newspaper online and have searchable access to archives back to 2002.
• A free e-mail newsletter, aSpire, now reaches more than 2,600 subscribers.
More than 5,600 users "like" Arkansas Catholic's Facebook page, follow and share posts with their friends. Ongoing programs and special event videos draw users to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We also develop content for Diocese of Little Rock pages on Facebook and YouTube.
We've reworked staff positions in the department so that one part-time person devotes all their attention to digital media, ensuring fresh, engaging content is available on digital platforms and inviting more Catholics to read the digital edition.
None of this is cheap or easy, but it is making a difference! And there is far more that needs to be done.
First, please pray for Arkansas Catholic and the success of projects funded through the Guardian Angels. Then, search your heart and your budget to determine how much you can give. Any gift is helpful to our mission of keeping communication channels open and young adults engaged with the Church.
You can give online using a credit card or electronic check through our secure donation page. Or, click for a PDF response form you can print and mail to us with your contribution.
Arkansas Catholic announces new and renewing members in the newspaper, with our thanks.
A Guardian Angels sustaining membership is a monthly gift that is convenient, ongoing and secure. Sustaining members are crucial to providing an ongoing base of support that we can rely on, to make longer-term plans and budget our spending more efficiently.
Angel (base member): Those who make a one-time gift of at least $60, or an ongoing gift of $5 a month
Archangel (supporter): Those who make a one-time gift of at least $120, or an ongoing gift of $10 a month
Cherubim (partner): Those who make a one-time gift of at least $240, or an ongoing gift of $20 a month
Evangelist (patron): Those who make a one-time gift of at least $480, or an ongoing gift of $40 a month
Since 2010, every page in every archive volume from 1911 through 2001 has been protected from the ravages of time, digitally scanned and processed and posted online, freely available to inspire new Catholic generations.
Hundreds of Guardian Angels supported scanning 90 years of newspapers into a digital format that will never fade, crumble or be lost to fire or natural disaster. The archive pages bear witness to the Catholic faith in Arkansas in a way that no hindsight retelling could match.
Browse or search these digitized newspapers by clicking this archive link, always available on the front page of www.arkansas-catholic.org.
By "adopting" a year that includes a date important to you, your family or parish, you cover the cost of preserving that special time period. Honor a birth or wedding date, an ordination anniversary or the year your parish or school was founded with a donation to preserve that year. The cost of "adoption" depends on the age, condition and number of pages in the year.
Special yearsThese years of The Guardian have been "adopted" for preservation through the Guardian Angels campaign. 1921: In memory of Lil Buford, remembering the year of her birth. 1945: In memory of Lil Buford, remembering the year of her marriage. 1959: Sponsored by Martha Walsh 1962: Sponsored by Delores Hartman 1964: Sponsored by The Cashman Family To adopt a year that's important to you, your parish or a loved one, contact editor Malea Hargett or write to Arkansas Catholic Guardian Angels, P.O. Box 7417, Little Rock AR 72217. |
If you have questions or comments about the Guardian Angels campaign, you can contact editor Malea Hargett by e-mail or call (501) 664-0125 during business hours.
You may also write to Arkansas Catholic Guardian Angels, P.O. Box 7417, Little Rock AR 72217.
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