Parish and Diocesan News

Chess tournament: Is chess an art? A science? Some claim it's both. For the children who play chess, it's just a game. The games will begin in Conway on Saturday, May 10. On that day, St. Joseph School Chess Club will host the Southern Scholastic Open Chess Tournament. Registration is currently underway for the tournament, which will begin in the St. Joseph Family Activity Center at 10 a.m., with registration at 8:30 a.m., and any child in grades kindergarten through 12th can participate. Both United States Chess Federation rated and non-rated sections are available for individual players. A trophy or medal and a chess prize will be awarded to each player. The top three individual players and teams will be awarded a trophy. Registration is $20 a player before May 7 and $25 on tournament day with a reduced rate of $10 for children participating in their school's free lunch programs. Participants should bring boards, sets and clocks, if possible. To register online or for more information, visit www.stjosephcon way.org or call (501) 327-1204.

Meeting: St. Edward Christian Mother's Sodality in Little Rock will hold a meeting on Saturday, May 10 after the 9 a.m. Mass. The meeting will be held in the church cafeteria. Members are asked to bring items to benefit Birthright, such as diapers, blankets or infant clothing. Monetary donations will also be accepted. Marissa Olsen will also speak on behalf of Birthright.

Retreat: Father Tom Elliott will lead a "Discernment of Spirit" retreat Saturday, May 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Christ the King Church in Fort Smith. The retreat will focus on St. Ignatius' "Guidelines." The retreat is free and includes lunch and materials. Free babysitting will be provided. For more information or to sign up, call Donna Marcum at (479) 783-7745.

Quiz bowl: Subiaco Academy faced Huntsville High School in the final match for the State 4A Quiz Bowl Championship, which was be broadcast live on AETN Saturday, April 19. While Huntsville won, Subiaco's Matthew Sharum was named MVP. The 4A State Quiz Bowl Tournament was held Saturday, April 5, at Dardanelle High School. Sixteen teams competed in the tournament. Three matches were played to determine seeding. Subiaco won tournament matches against Arkansas Baptist in Little Rock, Booneville and Westside High School in Jonesboro. Other Quiz Bowl team members who competed are Nehemiah Stephens, Tyler Carr, Will Kluempers, Josh Stewart, Chance Kidd, Joshua Gage and James Kyle. The team is coached by Alane Freerksen.

Marriage enrichment weekend set for May: Worldwide Marriage Encounter will host a weekend May 30-June 1 at St. John Center in Little Rock for couples who want to strengthen their marriage. The movement is committed to helping "married couples turn a good (or even ho-hum or boring) marriage into a great marriage." Couples can be married any length of time, from just a couple of years to 50 years or more. The registration fee is $50. For more information or to register, call Fran and Don Donaldson at (501) 354-9045 or J.C. and Debbie Finton at (501) 977-0295.

Girls basketball: The seventh-grade girls Dragons basketball team at St. Edward School in Little Rock won first place in league and tournament play for 2007-2008. Their record is 19-0 for the season. The coaches are Chad Kauffman and Garry McClellan.

Jazz musicians perform at Memphis museums: The Subiaco Academy Jazz Ensemble performed April 5 at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis as part of the festivities marking the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Later in the afternoon, the students performed at Elvis Presley's Graceland. "Performing -- making a connection with your audience -- is all that matters," said Deacon Roy Goetz, headmaster and director of the ensemble. The Memphis tour marks a new direction for the award-winning group. "We have traveled to competitions in Dallas and San Antonio over the past five years and have always earned the top honors, but I really prefer playing to an audience rather than judges," Goetz said. The ensemble was invited to perform after submitting audition recordings.

Branson: The Primetimers senior ministry at Christ the King Church in Little Rock is hosting a trip to Branson, Mo., June 24-26 to see the Sight and Sound Theatres production of "Noah." Participants will also see the "Magnificent 7 Dinner Show" and the "Red Skelton" tribute show. The $300 fee includes the shows, lodging and all meals except one lunch. The deadline to sign up is May 15. For more information, call Ken Eckert at (501) 224-6545.

Workshop May 17 held to nurture caregivers: St. Scholastica Retreat Center in Fort Smith will hold a special workshop for caregivers Saturday, May 17. "Caregivers, Renew Your Spirit" will give participants spiritual nourishment, reflection time and relaxing experiences. Workshop presenters are Sister Rachel Dietz, OSB, Kathy Lyon and Vicky Wilke, licensed social workers. The $10 registration fee includes lunch. For more information or to register, call (479) 783-1135 or visit www.stscho.org.

Carnival: Christ the King Church in Fort Smith will host its Spring Carnival from 6-11 p.m. May 16-17. Several food booths, including Mexican and Vietnamese food, will be available. Games, bingo, a silent auction and live music will round out the event. For more information, call the parish office at (479) 783-7745.

Bazaar: St. Boniface Church's annual bazaar will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 18 at the parish hall in New Dixie. It will feature a silent auction and games. An all-you-can-eat barbecue dinner will be served for $10 for adults and $5 for children. Takeouts are available by calling (501) 759-2896. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m.

Students volunteer for pope's birthday: Hundreds of Catholic school students in Arkansas prepared for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the U.S. by volunteering in the community in honor of his 81st birthday on April 16. A total of 4,457 hours of service were pledged by 779 students, to be completed by May 31. The service project is part of a national effort by Catholic schools, colleges, parish religious education programs and seminaries.

Immigration services employee is new citizen: An employee of the Diocese of Little Rock became a United States citizen April 11. Jacqueline Ruay, a native of Chile and secretary for Catholic Charities Immigration Services in Little Rock, participated in a naturalization ceremony at the federal courthouse in Little Rock.

Donations accepted for disaster relief fund: The Diocese of Little Rock is again asking for donations for its Disaster Relief Fund to assist victims and their families from the May 2 tornadoes. Seven people were confirmed dead after 11 tornadoes swept through northwest, central and eastern Arkansas. The strongest storm started in Conway County and continued for 45 miles to Cleburne County. St. Joseph Church, located in the Catholic Point community near Center Ridge, suffered minor damage to the church and extensive damage to its cemetery. Catholic Charities' Parish Social Ministry Office will be responding with recovery assistance. Because of deadly tornadoes and flooding over the past three months, two-thirds of the state's 75 counties have been declared disaster areas. Donations can be sent to Catholic Charities, P.O. Box 7565, Little Rock, AR 72217.

Swimming hall of fame: Sue Keith Wrape, a member of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock, was inducted into the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame during a dinner at the Bess Chism YWCA in Little Rock April 26. Wrape swam for the Little Rock Boys Club, Mount St. Mary Academy and Little Rock Junior College. The highlight of her competitive years was in 1945 at the Arkansas AAU Outdoor Swim Meet where she swept the women's division, winning four events. Although Mount St. Mary didn't have a team at the time, she represented the school in the State High School Meet. She had two first and two new records, putting the school in fifth place. After school, she taught swimming, lifesaving classes and water ballet.

Artists: Thirty-nine Immaculate Conception young artists in Fort Smith exhibited their artwork through April 24 in the Ninth Annual River Valley Show at the Center for Art & Education in Van Buren. Seven students were judged as winners and were honored April 6 during an awards ceremony. The first place winners were given $50 while the second place winners got $20.
Grade 1: Patrick Jones, mixed, second place; Jessica Newman, mixed, honorable mention; and Sarah Tolbert, mixed, honorable mention
Grade 5: Melissa Zarate, mixed, first place; Mason Gilsinger, mixed, second place; and Courtney Seffense, mixed, honorable mention
Grade 6: Maverick Turner, oil pastel, first place.

Math team: The seventh-grade math team at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in North Little Rock (Marche) won first place overall in the team competition in the Mu Alpha Theta math competition at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock Feb. 20. The eighth-grade team won third place in the team competition.

Swim champs: In February, the Mount St. Mary Academy swim team in Little Rock was named 2008 Arkansas High School Swimming and Diving State Champs. The last time Mount St. Mary earned the state champion title in the sport was 1985. The team included Olivia Morley, Danielle Pena, Megan Young, Jessica Wilde, Laura Peterson, Amee Pena, Ann Richardson and Rachel Reeves.

Two-day conference is for aspiring musicians: The Christian Music Ministry Conference will be held June 9-10 at Little Portion Retreat Center near Eureka Springs. The presenters will include Denis Grady, a singer and songwriter from Calgary, Canada; Laura Harris, a singer and songwriter from Austin, Texas; and Danny Agajanian, a Gospel bluegrass veteran from Grand Junction, Colo. The conference will assist those interested in starting or expanding their professional music ministry. The registration fee is $125. For more information, call Peggy Lodewyks at (479) 253-7379.

What's happening in your parish?: Short articles and photographs about parish and school events and accomplishments are published weekly in Arkansas Catholic. Click here to send information about your events and accomplishments through our "Contact Us" page.

Protecting children and young people: The Diocese of Little Rock is committed to protecting children and young people. If you are aware of abuse or have been abused by clerics, Church volunteers or Church workers, please contact the Diocese of Little Rock at (501) 664-0340, ext. 361, and the State of Arkansas Hotline for Crimes against Children at (800) 482-5964. For pastoral assistance, please contact the victim assistance coordinator for the Diocese of Little Rock, Dr. Carol Siemon, at (501) 664-0340, ext. 416.
Diocesan Offices
2500 N. Tyler St.
Little Rock, AR 72207

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