The newly appointed Bishop of Derry has appealed to Irish Catholics to rediscover Knock Shrine and the joys of pilgrimage. Speaking as the annual Knock Novena begins on August 13, Bishop Michael Router spoke of the importance of the Co. Mayo shrine for the Irish people. “Sometimes,” said Bishop Michael Router, “we don’t find it…
In the heart of a city long scarred by division, the pipes and fiddles of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann sounded a note of quiet triumph at the weekend. For the first time, Belfast hosted the world’s largest celebration of Irish traditional music, song, dance and language – drawing more than a million visitors. That this…
A centenary recreation of Waterford’s historic March of the Black Friars is an opportunity to “re-engage” with the city’s Catholic history rather than simply look back nostalgically, a local historian has said. The procession on August 16 will recall the 1926 march which drew around 5,000 people to mark 700 years since the arrival of…
In a recent visit to the archbishop’s residence in Armagh, Emma Redmond, Head of OpenAI Ireland, gathered with Archbishop Eamon Martin to discuss the Pope’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. Ms Redmond was accompanied by Derek Nolan, Policy and Partnerships Lead for Ireland and the Nordics at OpenAI Ireland. The group discussed the encyclical letter “at this…
Knock Shrine is preparing to expand its role as a centre for retreats and faith formation as religious-run retreat houses continue to close across Ireland, its rector has said. Fr Richard Gibbons PP said the shrine is planning decades ahead as it considers how its facilities can respond to the changing needs of the Irish…
