Click on a headline below to read selected stories from the special 2010 Vocations section which appeared in the May 22 issue of Arkansas Catholic.
Four to be ordained: Grateful for the gift of the priesthood On the surface, it seems Tony Robbins, Joseph Archibong, Jason Sharbaugh and Rubén Quinteros' personalities and interests differ as much as their life experiences. Yet when they talk about God, they all feel the same way: grateful for this wonderful gift.
Sister Margaret Meisner lives with an open heart and an open door Not long ago, a re-shuffling of offices at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock relocated Sister Margaret Meisner, SCN, to a new space down a quiet, sparsely-populated hallway. While the solitude suited her contemplative side, her social nature demanded one slight modification -- she keeps the door open at all times so anyone who passes may enter.
'Father Fred' left aeronautics 50 years ago to follow vocation During Msgr. Lawrence A. Frederick's 44 years of priesthood, he has celebrated many Masses and served as a chaplain, campus minister and associate pastor. But to many alumni of Catholic High School for Boys in Little Rock, he will always be their teacher, "Father Fred."
Nigerian has been preparing for 19 years Joseph Archibong can't remember a time when he didn't imagine becoming a priest. Though he wasn't sure God was calling him to this life, openness to the possibility has guided his choices since the age of 12.
Connections draw Argentine to Arkansas When Rubén Quinteros first felt God calling him, he never dreamed he would end up serving the people of Arkansas. Though it is a long way from his native Argentina, somehow he knows he is in the right place.
New Year’s resolution leads to priesthood Tony Robbins first thought about being a priest in grade school, but it was never a serious consideration. He mostly imagined himself getting married instead.
As faith deepened, so did Sharbaugh’s call Jason Sharbaugh was a rebellious teen who got expelled from Subiaco Academy in the 11th grade. Priesthood was the last vocation his peers would have imagined for him. Even now, some still “don’t buy it,” he said.
Don’t let misconceptions cause faith to waver