The Diocese of Little Rock will host the Eucharistic Congress from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds in Little Rock. The day will include guest speakers in English and Spanish, Mass, confession, adoration, art exhibit, children’s art contest, children and teen activities and vendor booths. Food vendors will be available or families may bring their own lunch. No registration is required. All events and parking are free.
This fall the diocese canceled three annual events – Catechetical Study Day, Professional Day for teachers and principals and Encuentro Hispano, which usually occur in September and October – in order to encourage a larger attendance at the Congress.
Eucharistic Congress T-shirts, placemats and bumper stickers are on sale now. To buy a promotional item, call Andrew Hart at (501) 664-0340 or e-mail
ahart@dolr.org.
The deadline to reserve a vendor or information booth is Sept. 15. Vendors offering items for sale are required to pay a $100 fee, but information booths are free. For more information or to get a reservation form, call Teri Tribby at (501) 664-0340 or e-mail
ttribby@dolr.org.
The gates of the fairgrounds will open at 7 a.m. Parking on the grounds will be directed by members of the Knights of Columbus. Special areas will be reserved for buses and handicap accessibility.
Mass will be celebrated by Bishop J. Peter Sartain at 3:30 p.m. in Barton Coliseum. Music will be directed by Dr. Kevin Forte of Christ the King Church in Little Rock. Singers and musicians from around the diocese will perform. Before Mass, a procession will begin at 2 p.m. inside the coliseum.
Activities for children ages 3 to 12 years old will be held in the Arts and Crafts Building under the direction of Leigh Bornhoft and Vernell Bowen. Father Tom Elliott is coordinating a talk-show format program for children in seventh through 12th grades in the Arkansas SOS Building.
A sign-language interpreter will be available during Mass. The Year of the Eucharist Committee would like to accommodate other participants who have physical disabilities and will need assistance. Call Andrew Hart at (501) 664-0340 or e-mail
ahart@dolr.org.
Fourteen stations for confession will be positioned inside Barton Coliseum from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
MEMS personnel will be on hand all day to provide first aid.
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I’ve also gone to a different church after daily mass, which holds adoration every Tuesday. But best of all, I’ve found a church which has an Adoration Chapel, which is close to work. It’s nice to stop by there when I’ve worked too long and have missed daily mass.