Disaster aid offered for flooding victims
The Arkansas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster group announced Tuesday that it is partnering with area disaster relief organizations and state entities to create a multi-agency resource center for those in need as a result of the recent Arkansas River flooding.
The Salvation Army, United Way, Arkansas Department of Health and faith-based disaster-relief organizations are among those that will comprise the center, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Wesley United Methodist Church, 2310 E. Oak Street in Conway.
Trained English and Spanish-speaking caseworkers will be on hand to help create recovery plans and facilitate assistance through the center’s agencies; those applying for assistance will need to supply identification and proof of residence to be eligible for some forms of assistance.
— ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Diocese sells school to Liturgical Press
Little Rock Scripture Study, a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, announced on Wednesday that the diocese has sold the Bible-study school to Collegeville, Minn.-based Liturgical Press, who will retain sole ownership of the ministry.
Tammy and Fred Woell of Little Rock, with the Rev. Jerome Kodell, OSB, of Subiaco Abbey, founded the ministry in 1974, according to a report Wednesday by Arkansas Catholic, to further faith formation through the development of materials for Bible study for lay Catholics.
The Bible study school and Liturgical Press first formed a partnership in 1985 to facilitate with marketing and distribution of materials, according to a news release.
Bishop Anthony Taylor said in the release that changes in the Catholic Church and in publishing prompted the move, and said the diocese’s primary concern “is to do what is best for the apostolate.”
Cackie Upchurch, the longtime director of Little Rock Scripture Study, is retiring July 3, and Amy Ekeh of Milford, Conn., will take over in leading the ministry.
— ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Archbishop set for enthronement
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will be enthroned today as the seventh Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, according to a news release.
The U.S. archdiocese is a province of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and Archbishop Elpidophoros was elected to the role as head of the archdiocese in that city, now known as Istanbul, on May 11. He will be enthroned by Metropolitan Augoustinos of Germany, in a ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Manhattan.
The ceremony will be livestreamed at goarch.org.
— ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE