News

Many different religious orders serve needs across Arkansas

Published: July 19, 2008   

Br. Ephrem O'Bryan, OSB

Brother James Lindsey, OSB, and Father Leonard Wrangler, OSB, visit with men attending a discernment retreat July 3-7 at Subiaco Abbey.

Br. Ephrem O'Bryan, OSB

Brother James Lindsey, OSB, and Father Leonard Wrangler, OSB, visit with men attending a discernment retreat July 3-7 at Subiaco Abbey.

Men and women religious serve as priests, brothers and sisters across the Diocese of Little Rock. According to the 2008 Official Catholic Directory, there are 47 religious priests, 32 religious brothers and 211 religious sisters representing a wide variety of orders in Arkansas.

For anyone thinking about a religious vocation, the following list of religious orders that serve in the state offer many options to choose from.

*Offers religious formation in Arkansas

Men Religious

Marylake Monastery, Little Rock*
Discalced Carmelites (OCD)
Part of the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Oklahoma Province of St. Thérèse (http:// carmelitesok.org)
Three priests in Arkansas
For more information, call Father Luis Joaquin, vocations director, at (405) 235-2037 or e-mail him at .

Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco*
Order of St. Benedict (OSB)
Based in Arkansas (http://www.subi.org)
25 priests, 25 brothers
For more information, call Brother Francis Kirchner, OSB, vocations director, at (479) 934-1047 or e-mail him at .

Benedictine Fathers of Conception Abbey (OSB)
Two priests in Arkansas
Based at Conception Abbey, Mo. (http://www.conceptionabbey.org)
For more information, call Father Benedict Neenan, OSB, vocations director, at (660) 944-2857 or e-mail him at .

Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis (CFP)
One brother in Arkansas
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio (http://www.franciscan-brothers.net)
For more information, call Brother Edward Kesler, CFP, vocations director, at (513) 924-0111 or e-mail him at .

Clerics of St. Viator (CSV)
One priest in Arkansas
Part of Chicago Province (http://www.viatorians .com)
For more information, call Daniel J. Lydon, vocations coordinator, at (847) 637-2129 or e-mail him at .

Congregation of the Mission (CM)
Vincentian Missionaries
Three priests, one deacon in Arkansas
Part of Southern Province in Dallas (http://www.cm south.org)
For more information in Arkansas, call Father Tom Stehlik, CM, at (501) 753-9117.

Divine Word Missionaries (SVD)
Two priests in Arkansas
Part of the Southern Province in Bay St. Louis, Miss. (http://www.svdvocations.org)
For more information, call Len Uhal, vocations director, in Epworth, Iowa, at (800) 553-3321 or e-mail him at svdvocations@ dwci.edu.

Glenmary Home Missioners (GHM)
Two priests and one brother in Arkansas
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio (http://www.glenmary .org)
For more information, call Father Steve Pawelk, vocations director, at (513) 874-8900 or e-mail him at .

Holy Ghost Fathers and Brothers (CSSp)
Six priests in Arkansas
Part of Holy Spirit Provincialate in Houston (http://www.spiritans.org)
For more information, call Brother Michael Suazo, CSSp, vocations director, at (713) 522-2882 or e-mail him at .

Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP)
Two priests in Arkansas
Based at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, Denton, Neb. (http://www.fsspolgs.org)
For more information, call Father Joseph Portzer, FSSP, vocations director, at (402) 797-7700 or e-mail him at .

Indian Missionary Society (IMS)
Two priests in Arkansas
Based in Tirunelveli, India (http://www.indianmissionarysociety.org)

Women Religious

Carmelite Monastery of St. Teresa of Jesus, Little Rock*
Discalced Carmelite/Cloistered Nuns (OCD)
Based in Arkansas (http://www.littlerockcarmel.org)
14 nuns
For more information, call Sister Mary Alice Grace, OCD, vocations director, at (501) 565-5121 or e-mail her at .

Holy Angels Convent, Jonesboro*
Congregation of Olivetan Benedictines (OSB)
Based in Arkansas (http://www.olivben.org)
42 sisters and three novices
For more information, call Sister M. Thérèse Johnson, OSB, vocations director, (870) 273-6872 or e-mail her at .

St. Scholastica Monastery, Fort Smith*
Order of St. Benedict, Benedictine Sisters (OSB)
Based in Arkansas (http://www.stscho.org)
61 sisters, 2 temporary professed, 1 postulant
For more information, call Sister Kimberly Rose Prohaska, OSB, vocations director, at (479) 783-4147 or e-mail her at .

Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (CCVI)
One sister in Arkansas
Based in Houston (Villa de Matel) (http://www.sistersofcharity.org)
For more information, call Sister Mary Patricia Driscoll, CCVI, vocations director, at (713) 249-1230 or e-mail her at .

Daughters of Charity (DC)
Eight sisters in Arkansas
Part of the West Central Province in St. Louis (http://www.daughters-of-charity.org)
For more information, call Sister Teresa Daly, DC, vocations director, at (314) 533-4770, ext. 103 or e-mail her at .

Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (OP)
Three sisters in Arkansas
Part of Provincial House of Justice, Ill. (http://www.sistersop.com)
For more information, call Sister Margaret Lekan, OP, promoter of vocations, at (708) 458-3040 or e-mail her at .

Missionaries of Charity, Calcutta (MC)
Four sisters in Arkansas
Part of Midwest Region in St. Louis
For more information, call Missionaries of Charity Convent in Little Rock at (501) 663-3596 or the St. Louis regional office at (314) 533-2777.

Missionary Carmelites of St. Teresa (CMST)
Eight sisters in Arkansas
Provincial House located in Houston
For more information, call Sister Elsa Margaret Galdeano, CMST, vocations director, at (281) 820-8961 or e-mail her at . In Arkansas call Sister Gisela Rivera, CMST, at (870) 642-8487.

Missionary Catechists of the Poor (MCP)
Four sisters in Arkansas
Based in Monterrey, Mexico (http://www.misionerasmcp.com)
For more information in Arkansas, call Sister Georgina Machado, MCP, vocations director, at (501) 603-5346 or e-mail her at .

Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart (MSC)
One sister in Arkansas
Based in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
For more information in Arkansas, call Sister Josefina Gutierrez, MSC, at (479) 784-9450.

Religious Sisters of Mercy (RSM)
41 sisters in Arkansas
Part of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, South Central Community (http://www.sistersofmercy.org)
For more information, e-mail Sister Kathleen Tinnel, RSM, vocation minister, at .
In Arkansas, call (501) 607-0585 in Little Rock, (501) 321-1554 in Hot Springs or (479) 314-6097 in Fort Smith.

School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND)
Two sisters in Arkansas
Part of Dallas Province (http://www.ssnd.org)
For more information in Arkansas, call Sisters Sylvia Provost or Carol Nishke, SSND, at (501) 375-7422.

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN)
One sister in Arkansas
Based in Nazareth, Ky. (http://www.scnfamily.org)
For more information, call Sister Luke Boiarski, SCN, vocations director, at (502) 348-1578 or e-mail her at .

Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny (SJC)
One sister in Arkansas
Part of Cluny Provincialate House in Newport, R.I.
For more information, call (401) 846-4757.

Association of the Faithful
(not a religious order)

Little Portion Hermitage, Berryville *
The Brothers & Sisters of Charity (BSC)
Integrated Monastery and Public Association
Based in Arkansas (http://www.LittlePortion.org)
14 integrated members, one brother, four sisters
For more information, call Sister Mary Catherine, BSC, assistant vocations director, at (479) 253-7710 or e-mail her at .