House of Formation — Diocese of Little Rock
| House of Formation (Diocese of Little Rock) | |
|---|---|
| Short name | House of Formation |
| Type | House of Formation |
| Status | Active |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock |
| Sponsoring diocese(s) | Diocese of Little Rock |
| Operated by | Diocese of Little Rock, Vocations and Seminarians Office |
| City | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| State / province | Arkansas |
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Website | Official site |
| Levels of formation | Discernment, human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual formation |
| Interdiocesan | No |
The House of Formation is a residence for seminarians and discerners of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, located on the grounds of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. It provides a communal living environment in which men preparing for or considering the priesthood pursue human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual formation while attending local universities.
History
Seminarians studying at local colleges began living together starting in 2009. In 2011 they moved into Fletcher Hall at St. John Catholic Center while their permanent home was being built. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor blessed the site of the new construction in March 2012, and he dedicated the completed $1.6 million House of Formation on the grounds of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock on September 20, 2012. The 6,000-square-foot building includes a chapel, kitchen, meeting room/library, dining room, common area, 10 student rooms, and two priest apartments.
Campus and Formation
Residents of the House of Formation live and work under the leadership of Father Jeff Hebert, vocations director and prefect. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor also lives on the premises and frequently joins the community for Mass, dinner, and other group activities. Discerners — men who have not yet become seminarians — live and study alongside seminarians, experiencing the daily life of a seminarian through prayer, study, and community as they consider whether God is calling them to a priestly vocation.
Seminarians attend Mass daily, make a daily holy hour, receive spiritual direction, and go regularly to the sacrament of reconciliation. They serve in local parishes and attend events around the Diocese of Little Rock, and they take classes at local universities as well as core courses and electives in philosophy offered at the House of Formation itself.
The dining room houses a 10-foot-by-5-foot oil painting of the Last Supper, donated by Andrea Hathcote of Hensley. The crucifix in the St. John Vianney Chapel was created by Juan Campos of Guanajuato, Mexico, and was donated by the Hispanic Cursillo movement in the Diocese of Little Rock.