Six Irish priests concelebrated Mass with Pope Francis in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae in the Vatican on a visit to Rome to celebrate the 55th anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood:Fr Kevin McMullan (Down & Connor diocese), Canon Brian McCluskey (Clogher diocese, living in Belfast), Fr Phil O’Connell (Kerry diocese), Fr Brian…

Greenbacks and the green economy: Ecology is good business writes Cindy Wooden

A Dublin-based priest has insisted that “heads would roll” if a political party lost a vote as badly as the Church did in the marriage referendum. He also accused some of the bishops of giving “no leadership”. Fr Joe McDonald of St Matthew’s parish in west Dublin told The Irish Catholic “my difficulty is that…

A Pilgrim prays to Archbishop Oscar Romero during beatification Mass in the Divine Saviour of the World square in San Salvador. Photo: CNS

A leading religious education expert has said he “remains to be convinced” that a planned change to employment equality law will protect the right of Catholic schools to defend their religious ethos. Theologian Dr John Murray said he was “concerned” by the Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin’s announcement that he was working hard to…

Cork’s annual Eucharistic Procession, now in its 90th year, will take place on June 7. Participants will start assembling in the grounds of the North Cathedral at 2.30pm to leave at 3pm and process to Daunt’s Square. An invitation has been offered to the various Catholic groups to walk in the procession. The rosary will…

Tributes have been paid to broadcasting legend Bill O’Herlihy, a daily Massgoer who had described himself as a “committed Catholic”. The well-known Cork man, who retired as RTE’s main sports presenter last summer after almost half a century, died this week aged 76. Fr Frank Herron, Administrator of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock, where…

Staff Reporter Broadcaster Adrian Chiles has spoken of his “enriching experience” attending Mass at a different church every day during Lent. “It felt like it would be a real struggle, a penance. It turned out to be anything but. It was a rich and enriching experience – spiritually, obviously, but I was also enraptured by…

Msgr James Carroll blessed six reliquaries containing small bone fragments of St Oliver Plunkett in a ceremony in St Peter’s Church, West Street, Drogheda. The reliquaries were presented to members of the local council of the Knights of St Columbanus who will bring them to over 50 venues during the forthcoming festival of St Oliver…