Courtney McGrailStaff reporter A leading academic has claimed that if it were not for the vocation crisis, there would be little appetite to involve lay people in the Church here. Fr Oliver Rafferty SJ, Director of Irish Studies at Boston College, insisted that “if there was not a shortage of priests in the contemporary Church the mind-set…
Month: December 2015
Maynooth rejects claim it pays ‘lip service’ to theology
Cathal BarryThe President of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth has rejected a former professor’s claim that the college focuses on producing “ecclesiastical functionaries” rather than teaching its seminarians theology. Msgr Hugh Connolly told The Irish Catholic that the remarks made by Jesuit Fr Oliver Rafferty were “sweeping” and “unfair”. Writing in Ireland & Vatican II, Fr Rafferty,…
Redemptorists make Christmas hamper appeal
Mags GarganThe Redemptorist community in Limerick is asking people to donate food and toys for its annual Christmas Hamper Appeal. Last year, 6,000 hampers were distributed across the city and county at a cost of €130,000. The appeal is a partnership between the Redemptorists, the St Vincent de Paul and others including Friends of the Elderly,…
Vatican prepares for Pope’s Mexican wave
Paul KeenanThe city of Ciudad Juarez prepares for Pope Francis, writes Paul Keenan
Continent of hope, land of surprises
Greg DalyGreg Daly explores the themes and events of Pope Francis’ first African trip
There are solutions to the shortage of priests in Ireland
Dear Editor, In the November 19 issue there was an article stating that 19 priests a month are dying in Ireland. There is an evident decline in students for the priesthood which will have huge consequences on parish life. Many solutions are being proposed to respond to the pastoral needs of the people such as…
Highlighting difference between catechetics and religious studies
Dear Editor, Re Cathal Barry’s article ‘Taking Pope Francis to the classroom’ (IC 19/11/2015), the lesson itself as described was significantly successful in most aspects. A lesson on the environment and contemporary issues was conducted in the context of Catholic values. Under this approach the issue/subject at hand is explored without violence to its innate…
Combining two dimensions of Christ’s ministry is difficult
Dear Editor, In the course of the interview with Mary McAleese ‘There’s something about Mary’ (IC 12/11/2015) she stated “My views are founded emphatically in the Gospel”, before going on to explain in beautiful language that her faith in Christ is “the essence of my being”, “the love of Christ, his offer of mercy to…
Mrs McAleese is not a bridge builder for the Church
Dear Editor, I read with interest Martin O’Brien’s interview with Mary McAleese in your November 12 edition. He was high in his praise and admiration of her. We all admired her many good qualities, her courage and determination, her intelligence, her eloquence and not least her commitment to build peace between the two communities she had such…
A creative pioneer of the media
“For Gerry Reynolds, the unity of the Churches was nothing less than sharing the Body of the Lord at the common table”, writes Fr Brendan McConvery