The Northern bishops have said Christians are feeling a growing ‘chill factor’ in public policy and law in Northern Ireland. In a pastoral reflection on the forthcoming elections to the Northern Assembly, the bishops have listed a number of key issues for Catholic voters to consider, including the right to religious freedom. Funding The bishops…
The Church teaches that priests share in the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles, writes Cathal Barry The Second Vatican Council teaches that the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that fullness namely which, both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and the language of the Fathers…
A prominent priest-sociologist has warned that a number of anti-Catholic media commentators are damaging the public’s opinion of the Church. Jesuit Fr Micheál Mac Gréil told The Irish Catholic that he was “very worried about the atheistic proselytisation going on in Irish society today”. “I believe that proselytising is now not on the side of…
Over the last number of months, a number of enthusiastic RE and music teachers within the Archdiocese of Tuam have been working on a new project which will bring 300 young people together to perform a charity concert. Awakening will be a performance of a combination of modern church and contemporary music which will raise…
The local faith development group in the Diocese of Galway, tSli Chriost, has produced and distributed a May altar leaflet in order to spread knowledge of and devotion to Our Lady through the erection of May altars. These leaflets have proved popular with parishioners throughout the diocese with homes, schools and churches taking part in…
Author Jon M. Sweeney tells Mags Gargan about how St Francis’ legacy was almost destroyed by his best friend One of the first of many surprises when Pope Francis was elected head of the Church was that he chose the name Francis, after St Francis of Assisi, because he was “the man of poverty, the…
Calling women as deacons is at least worth talking about Phyllis Zagano The early Church had a problem. As it grew, the apostles could not attend to all its ministries. As Pope Francis said, when speaking to assembled bishops in Philadelphia, last September, the apostles essentially ‘invented’ the diaconate. The beginnings of the diaconate related…
Archbishop Eamon Martin and Dean Colum Curry presented over 300 young people with the Muiredach Cross Award and the Pope John Paul II Award at the sixth annual Armagh Diocesan Faith Award Ceremony in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh. The Muiredach Cross Award is aimed at the younger school students in the archdiocese as a…
Thornhill Ministries in Derry is celebrating a ‘Jubilee of Consolation’ with a festival of flowers entitled ‘Dry the Tears’. The festival is being hosted by Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Steelstown Road, Derry on the weekend of May 6-8 and follows on from the vigil to “dry the tears” which Pope Francis is celebrating in…
A group of 13 ladies, two men and two children visited the convent of the Holy Rosary Sisters in Temple Road, Dublin, laden with music and delicious food to thank the sisters for the work they have done in Africa. The group represented the Women Intercessors for the Church and the Nations, also known as…
Mags Gargan
Cathal Barry