CV NEWS FEED // The diocese of Little Rock in Arkansas is hard at work to promote religious life among women to combat recent decline in vocations.
The presence of religious sisters working in parishes and schools used to be a hallmark in Arkansas in the 1960s. However, as of 2024 the percentage of female religious has dropped by 76 percent, according to a report from the Arkansas Catholic.
In the Diocese of Little Rock, there are 105 religious sisters, which include two consecrated virgins, and a hermit, according to the Diocesan Minister to Religious Sister Cecilia Nguyen, who reported that in the past five years, only four women have made final vows and two have made first vows in the diocese.
Sharing her plans to bolster vocations within the diocese, Sister Cecilia said she intended to host more discernment retreats, and advocated to push discussion of women’s discernment among parishes and in the homes of Catholic families.
Sister Cecilia stated in the report:
I hope that we have more people here in Arkansas, young girls, that answer God’s calling and are aware of that […] It’s generous to give their life to God if God is calling them to enter that call. I hope vocations here grow, so we can serve and send more sisters out into the parishes.
“I’ve been going more as a vocation director to talk to young adults,’ she continued, “It seems to me like some of them in Catholic schools and parishes have never seen a sister before.”
The diocese will seek to combat this phenomenon through its annual women’s “Come and See” discernment retreat this April 26-26, which will take place at St John Center in Little Rock.
Last year, 10 women participated in the retreat, said Sister Cecilia, who described the experience as an opportunity to “just come and learn and experience with the sisters how they live and what the religious life looks like.”
The state of Arkansas has three convents, and at least 11 religious orders.