Cathal BarryThe Alliance party in the North has drawn sharp criticism over its policy that their candidates in next year’s Assembly elections will have to promise to vote in favour of same-sex marriage at Stormont. Evangelical Alliance spokesperson Peter Lynas told The Irish Catholic that the Alliance party “seem to be sending a strong message to…
Month: August 2015
Improved catechesis is needed to create strong, articulate laity
Courtney McGrailDear Editor, I rejoice with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin that “things are improving within the Church” (IC 30/07/2015), but I haven’t the benefit of his statistics. I agree the Church needs a “new generation of strong and articulate lay men and women”, if less certain where this will come from, and what initiatives will bring it…
Back to school costs increase
A survey by Barnardos has found that the overall costs of sending a child to school have gone up this year compared with 2014. It takes €785 to put a child through their first year of secondary school, an increase of €50 and it costs €365 for a senior infant, up €20 euro. The average…
Bishop Leahy addresses Focolare gathering
Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick was among an Irish delegation of 120 people who travelled to the Focolare summer gathering at Hope University in Liverpool last week. Addressing the summer gathering, jointly hosted by Focolare in the UK and Ireland, Bishop Leahy said that when Focolare started in 1943 the founders could “hardly have imagined…
Direct Provision here to stay
The Government has ruled out removing the controversial direct provision system for asylum seekers and refugees. Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said it is “not feasible” to say there are alternatives to direct provision and the Government is instead concentrating on improvements to the system to fast-track application decisions. She said direct provision is “not…
New UCC chaplains named
Two new chaplains have been appointed to University College Cork (UCC) as part of an agreement between the college and the Diocese of Cork and Ross. Nathan Williams and Brett Cavanaugh, both graduates of the University of Notre Dame in the US, will take up their positions at the beginning of the upcoming academic year,…
Man pleads guilty to robbing nun
A man who pleaded guilty to knocking over an elderly nun in the centre of Limerick City and snatching her handbag, has been remanded in custody for sentencing. Joe Roche, 30, approached two elderly nuns, aged 75 and 78, as they walked along O’Connell Street on the morning of January 3. He snatched a handbag…
Two Nigerian priests appointed to Kilmore
Bishop Leo O’Reilly has announced the appointment of two priests from Nigeria to parishes in the Diocese of Kilmore among this year’s new clerical appointments. Fr Addison Okpeh and Fr Peter Okpetu are both members of the Missionary Society of St Paul of Nigeria and they are the first Nigerian priests to receive appointments in…
Vigil held for murdered mother of three
A vigil has been held in west Belfast to pay tribute to Jennifer Dornan whose body was found after a house fire in the Lagmore area of Dunmurry. The PSNI launched a murder investigation following results of a post mortem. Fr Martin Graham, who was at the vigil, described the mother of three was a…
Kilmore priest appointed to Vatican
Fr Enda Murphy, a priest of the Diocese of Kilmore, has been appointed by the Vatican Secretariat of State to serve in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments of the Roman Curia. Fr Murphy is a native of Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh. He studied at Queen's University, Belfast, the Gregorian University in Rome and,…