Maria Garvey – whose vocation has been to untap and develop the great gifts and possibilities of persons with special needs and to empower them to transform the rest of us – remembers the moment more than 40 years ago as if it was yesterday. It changed her life forever, just as several dreams which…
It’s fairly fashionable now for people to describe themselves as “spiritual not religious”, but what does it mean when they say that? It certainly signifies an aversion to being called ‘religious’. To be ‘religious’ has connotations of being a ‘Holy Joe’, or of being ‘dogmatic’, or being regimented and of being unwilling to think for…
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child. I was glad to see that even in the hardened atmosphere of news outlets around the world, the impending arrival of a new baby in the royal household is still portrayed as a ‘good news’ story. But it also got me thinking about what…
Grandparents have a responsibility to “step in and say something” to help their children and grandchildren, and bring family together. Archbishop Eamon Martin, the Primate of Ireland, said in a Mass celebrating the 2017 Grandparents’ Pilgrimage to Knock that it can be difficult to make connections, especially “in a generation which can be so individualistic”.…
Belfast’s oldest church reopens The oldest Catholic Church in Belfast has reopened for Mass after being closed for almost two months. Masses were celebrated at St Mary’s at the weekend for the first time since mid-July, with Mass having been celebrated at the Living Youth building, beside the church in Chapel Lane. St Mary’s, where…
Cold water has been poured on the idea that Catholics might have to endure another English translation of the Mass, just six years after the last change, following an amendment to Canon Law by Pope Francis. The new law, Magnum principium, was issued on Saturday and is seen as an example of the Pope following…
The Pro-Life Campaign (PLC) has criticised Leo Varadkar’s comments in which he said the unborn should not have the same rights as the mother. However the PLC welcomed that he does not agree the unborn should have no rights whatsoever. In an article published in the New York Times the Taoiseach is quoted as saying: “And there…
Bishop Kevin Doran has condemned the “inhumane” living conditions of asylum seekers in the direct provision system, comparing them to prisoners out on day release. Bishop Doran, who is a member of the Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said the processing of asylum applications “remains unacceptably slow”, and the…
A Canadian gold mining firm has turned down a request by the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) to access land in Co. Tyrone where locals say a Mass rock is located. The AOH says up to 12 bands and several hundred people are expected to attend a parade in Greencastle on Sunday to mark the…
I didn’t hear George Hook’s radio comments about rape which have caused such a storm of controversy, so I won’t comment on the specifics of what he said. You have to hear something live, pick up voice tone, register and context, to form a judgement on a sensitive subject. On the general topic, it always…
Martin O'Brien
David Quinn
Maria Steen
Mags Gargan
Chai Brady
Mary Kenny