Much still needs to be done but there is light in the darkness, writes Seán Farrell
Month: February 2015
Galway novena takes to the streets
Organisers are getting inventive to draw in a younger audience, writes Cathal Barry
Sharing between generations
Evan O’Brien explains how a student charity group supports the elderly in Cork
Hypnotic fascination will lead to head-scratching
Patrick’s Day (15a)
If it’s religious, it must be Sunday
It’s understandable that so many religious programmes are concentrated on Sundays. Some may feel it puts religion in a media ghetto, but in a way it’s also showing sensitivity to the Lord’s Day. On last Sunday morning’s Sunday Sequence (BBC Radio Ulster), Audrey Carville presented a timely item on the morality of paying hostage takers: should…
Philippine prelates insist peace process must continue
Philippine Catholic leaders called for the peace process to move forward between the country’s largest Muslim rebel group and the government, days after a deadly encounter between fighters of the two sides in the country’s south. The 12-hour battle on January 25 happened during a crucial stage in peacebuilding efforts between the rebel Moro Islamic…
Exiled Dominican friar fights to preserve Iraqi Christian past
A Dominican friar, exiled from his friary in Mosul by the Islamic State last year, is working to preserve Christian manuscripts through digitisation to ensure the memory of Iraq’s Christian past survives. Iraqi native, Fr Najeeb Michaeel, OP, founded the Centre for the Digitisation of Oriental Manuscripts in 1990 to foster the collection and recording…
Vatican to provide free haircuts for the homeless
Homeless people in Rome will soon be able to head to the Vatican for a free shave and haircut. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, haircuts and shaves will be available to those less fortunate on Mondays. In Italy, barbershops are traditionally closed on Mondays, allowing for volunteer barbers to donate their time. The…
Vatican Round-up
Pontifical council consider challenges for women Violence against women, cultural pressures regarding women’s physical appearance, attitudes that subjugate women or that ignore male-female differences and the growing alienation of women from the Church in some parts of the World are themes the Pontifical Council for Culture is set to explore. The council has chosen to discuss the theme, ‘Women’s Cultures:…
Lights for consecrated life
Religious carry candles in procession at the start of a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis to mark the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, February 2. The Mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican also marked the World Day for Consecrated Life.

Courtney McGrail
Cathal Barry
Aubrey Malone