Monsignor Francis Allen

Monsignor Francis Avery Allen was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 5, 1907. He was the second of six children born to Winifred and William S. Allen. Monsignor and his brothers, Bill, Trieber and Charles, and his sisters, Louise and Mary, received their early education from the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters at St. Andrew's Cathedral School.

Frank, as he was called, started serving Mass at the Cathedral at age seven. For several years, he served the daily Mass of Bishop John B. Morris. When he expressed interest in studying for the priesthood, the Bishop arranged for him to enter the Pontifical Roman Seminary. At the age of fifteen, he left for Rome spending a year in preparatory study and in learning the Italian language. He then dedicated three years to the study of philosophy, as well as four years studying theology. He completed preparations for the holy priesthood at the age of twenty-three and was ordained by special dispensation, since he was a year younger than the required age at that time.

Father Allen was ordained in Rome on February 8, 1931 by Cardinal Domilli. He remained in Rome for additional studies until August 19th when he returned to Little Rock. The day after his return from Rome, he said the prayers for the dying at the bedside of his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Louisa Wingrove Boosey, age ninety-five.

Father Allen celebrated his first Solumn High Mass at St. Andrew's Cathedral on August 30, 1931, with his three brothers as servers. He was assisted by Reverend Gregory Keller, first native of the Cathedral to be ordained, and the Reverend John J. Healy, President of Little Rock College, also a native of the Cathedral. The entire membership of the St. Berchman's Society, composed entirely of altar boys at the Cathedral, walked in the procession.

Father Allen's first assignment was as a professor at Catholic High School. After one year at Catholic High School, he was assigned to be part-time assistant rector of St. Andrew's Cathedral. He was one of the priests who served the I Street Mission Church.

In 1933, after the death of Monsignor John Fisher, secretary to the Bishop, Father Allen succeeded Monsignor Fisher as secretary to Bishop Morris. From 1934 to January 1941 Father Allen served as pastor at St. Francis Mission Church, Ledwidge (Little Italy). He served as the Bishop's secretary until 1941 when he was appointed Rector of the Cathedral, following Monsignor Moran who had died in December 1940. While Father Allen was Rector of St. Andrew's Cathedral, the Cathedral Hall at Ninth & Louisiana (now Our House) was built. In 1947 Monsignor Allen was appointed Pastor of the newly established Parish of Our Lady of the Holy Souls.

Monsignor was instrumental in the development of Our Lady of the Holy Souls School which has been recognized as a leader in Catholic education.

Monsignor's crowning achievement came with the dedication of the newly built Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church on Sunday, May 9, 1971. In August 1987, when Holy Souls observed its sixtieth anniversary as a mission, and fortieth anniversary as a parish, it named the Parish Center in honor of Monsignor Allen.

Monsignor received numerous honors during his ministry, among them, Papal Chamberlain with the title of Very Reverend Monsignor in 1935; Domestic Prelate with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor in 1943; and in 1981, on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee as a priest, Prothonotary Apostolic, the Church's highest rank of Monsignori. He served as Dean of the Little Rock Deanery from 1959 until August 1971, and was named Vicar General July 1, 1973. He was a member of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.

Throughout his years, Monsignor was a devoted pastor and a long-time friend of Catholic education. One of his favorite hobbies, photography, brought him into close contact with the children. His "picture nights" for the eighth graders and their parents became a popular event each May. An official at Holy Souls School shared the following anecdote, "One of our teachers told the children that Monsignor Allen was gravely ill." The teacher asked, "What do you think will be the first thing Monsignor will say when he gets to heaven?" One of the children replied, "He'll say, hold still while I take your picture."

Monsignor always remembered to send cards to all the children in the school on their birthdays.

In a paper written in 1956 on the occasion of his twenty-fifth anniversary, a colleague recalled that as a boy Monsignor performed in school plays and entertained at parties. One of his friends added that he once entertained his friends and siblings after a birthday party by walking on the bannisters of the viaduct over the Missouri-Pacific Railroad tracks like a tightrope walker, with only his arms extended to balance himself.

Monsignor Allen retired on June 27, 1987, after a ministry of fifty-six years, having served as Pastor of Holy Souls for forty of those years. He died on October 11, 1988, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas.