Cathal BarryThe priest who presided at the funeral of Tony Fenton has spoken of how the legendary DJ returned to his faith in his final days. Fr Brendan Kealy, whose friendship with Fenton stretches back to before he became a priest, told The Irish Catholic the radio presenter received the sacraments and became a daily communicant…
Month: March 2015
Irish relief efforts in Vanuatu
Courtney McGrailTrócaire, the bishops’ overseas aid agency, is supporting relief efforts in Vanuatu in the aftermath of what is thought to have been the worst cyclone to ever hit the country. Cyclone Pam, a category five storm, devastatedthe most populated island of Efate, where more than 65,000 people live, with wind speeds of up to 270…
Bishop Doran clarifies comments
Bishop Kevin Doran issued a clarification following a controversial interview on Newstalk last week. Bishop Doran admitted that some of the words and examples he had used were not “chosen as carefully as in a prepared address”, but said that some of his comments had been “misquoted or quoted out of context in further media…
Christian Easter egg raises thousands for charity
Mags GarganA Christian Fairtrade Easter egg which raises awareness of the story of the resurrection, has raised nearly €200,000 for charity. The Real Easter Egg is made from Fairtrade chocolate, with chocolate buttons, and contains a child-friendly, 3ft storybook/banner, ‘The real meaning of Easter’ which tells the story of the crucifixion and resurrection. The larger Premium…
Seeing straight has more dimensions than we can imagine
Fr Ronald RolheiserSometimes you can see a whole lot of things just by looking. That’s one of Yogi Berra’s infamous aphorisms. It’s a clever expression of course, but, sadly, perhaps mostly, the opposite is truer. Mostly we do a whole lot of looking without really seeing much. Seeing implies more than having good eyesight. Our eyes can…
Bishop appeals for information on ‘The Disappeared’
Bishop Michael Smith’s comments come as a search is underway in Coghalstown bog, close to Oristown in Co. Meath
Latin American Church a model for Ireland
Michael KellyIn the United States, where I spent last weekend attending the Religious Education Congress sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, there is a special affection for Ireland. This is especially true when it comes to the Church. The history of Catholicism in North America and much of the English-speaking world is synonymous with Ireland.…
What Pope Francis means to me
A selection of Catholics give their impression of Francis’ pontificate so far
Archbishops promote blood & organ donation
St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh was wrapped in red ribbon last week to highlight blood and organ donation in a cross border partnership between churches and health services. The ‘fleshandblood campaign’ encourages parishes to see blood and organ donation as a part of their giving. The campaign was launched by CofI Archbishop of Armagh, Dr…
The Church needs more ‘compassionate’ approach, says moral theologian
A leading moral theologian has defended Bishop Kevin Doran’s remarks that the family is a “building block” of society. Dr Suzanne Mulligan, however, called on the bishop to clarify whether he was speaking in a personal capacity or on behalf of the Church regarding some of his more “unhelpful” statements. The lecturer in Moral Theology…