Children love animals, but the reverse is not always so. To animals, especially ones which belong in the wild, children are erratic, noisy little creatures, capable of pulling tails, poking eyes and shrieking alarmingly. Still, it is always a sad day when a child first comes to the realisation that their love for an animal…

My eight-year-old daughter made her First Confession recently, or First Penance as it’s now called. I had her well versed in exactly what to do and say – how to tell her sins, listening for her penance and reciting her Act of Sorrow. Unfortunately, she was sick on the big day, but was determined not…