New faces of the diocesan priesthood

Published: May 12, 2012

Paul Dufford / Arkansas Catholic file

Deacons Juan Manjarrrez, Mauricio Carrasco and Alejandro Puello were all smiles following Carrasco’s ordination to the diaconate June 11, 2011, at St. Raphael Church in Springdale. The trio will be ordained priests together May 26 and begin their first pastoral assignments in June.

Paul Dufford / Arkansas Catholic file

For the first time the Diocese of Little Rock will host an ordination for three Hispanic men. The ordination Mass for Mauricio Carrasco of Springdale, Juan de Dios Manjarrez of Fort Smith and Alejandro Puello of Paragould will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 26 at Christ the King Church in Little Rock. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will be the celebrant. A reception will follow in the Family Life Center.

Eucharistic adoration and prayers for the newly ordained will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, May 25 at Christ the King.

For his first liturgy, Carrasco will celebrate a bilingual Mass at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 27 at St. Raphael Church in Springdale. Puello will celebrate his first Mass in English at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, May 27. Manjarrez will celebrate Mass in English at 10 a.m. and Mass in Spanish at 2 p.m. May 27 at Immaculate Conception Church in Little Rock. Receptions will be held following the Masses.

Andrew Hart, who is attending the North American College in Rome and a member of Christ the King Church in Little Rock, will be ordained at noon, Saturday, July 21 at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock.

Click a headline below to read profiles of the three men who will be ordained May 26.

Manjarrez gave himself time to discover God’s call

Growing up in Guanajuato, Mexico, Juan Manjarrez had no plans for a vocation to the priesthood.

Goal: To be a 'good priest all around in all ministries’

Mauricio Carrasco hopes to use his experiences being born and raised in Mexico for 11 years and living in the United States for 16 years when he becomes a priest May 26.

Puello finds life’s meaning in Church and priesthood

Alejandro Puello took a leap of faith when he moved to the United States in May 2004 and Catholics in Arkansas are going to benefit from that decision.

Click here to see the index of stories in Arkansas Catholic's Vocations 2012 special section.

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