Seminarian Dies in Car Accident

John "Daniel" Phillips, 19, a seminarian for the Diocese of Little Rock, was killed in an automobile accident Dec. 18 near Danville. The son of John and Catherine Phillips of Booneville, he attended Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas where he was a first year philosophy major. The family attends Our Lady of the Assumption Churchin Booneville. Visitation was held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. A Mass of Christian burial was held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 atSt. Benedict Church in Subiaco.

"Let us pray for Daniel, that his soul will be welcomed by the angels and saints into the Kingdom of God in heaven. And let us also pray for his family and friends as they deal with the sudden and tragic end to his young life," Bishop Anthony B. Taylor wrote in an e-mail to diocesan staff Dec. 19.

In his vocation story, Phillips described his desire to become a priest. "Each day I pray a prayer I learned at the 'Come and See' retreat: 'God, I will go where you want me to go. I will do what you want me to do. And I will be who you want me to be. All you have to do is show me the way.' Today my desire for the priesthood is stronger than ever. Whether I am led all the way to ordination or not, I trust in God and will continue to seek his will for me.'" To learn more, read his profile inEnglish or Spanish or watch his story on video