Far from being a burden, older Catholics are a source of renewal and new growth, writes Fr Paddy Gleeson An article in the New York Times in early December spoke of the dramatic decline of the Catholic Church in Ireland in recent decades. Towards the end of the article, the Archbishop of Dublin Dr…
Witnessing the situations certain people are living in around the world is a reminder of the true meaning of hope according to a Phillipines cardinal. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said that in his ministry as Archbishop of Manila and in his travels for church-charity Caritas he sees people living in situations the world would see…
Jesuits’ deaths ‘shock’ to Dublin school One of Dublin’s most prestigious schools has expressed its “deep shock” after the deaths of two long-serving staff members on the same day. Staff and students at Gonzaga College were informed on Monday of the deaths of Fr Joe Brennan SJ and Fr Kennedy O’Brien. “As you can imagine, the college community is in…
2017 was a bonanza year for Irish-based Mass streaming service Church Service TV (CSTV), with the number of parishes using the service increasing by 30%. The Bray, Co. Wicklow-based service live-streamed 59,888 scheduled events from 108 different locations over 2017, reaching some 15 million viewers from 205 countries over the course of the year. CSTV’s…
An England-based Irish nun died leaving estate worth over €10m in her will. Dublin-born Sr Francis, originally Veronica Kidney, a member of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters in Littlehampton, died in September 2016, leaving estate valued at €10,187,524, according to the Sunday Independent. Known to her four brothers and two sisters as ‘Lal’, Sr Francis was…
Admit sins and recognise faults urges Pope Fear and the shame of admitting one’s own sins leads to pointing fingers and accusing others rather than recognising one’s own faults, Pope Francis said. “It’s difficult to admit being guilty, but it does so much good to confess with sincerity. But you must confess your own sins,” the Pope said at his first…
Brexit & Ireland: The Dangers, the Opportunities, and the Inside Story of the Irish Response by Tony Connelly (Penguin Ireland, €20) Joe Carroll Tony Connelly is RTÉ’s European Correspondent based in Brussels. He reports on EU affairs with clarity and precision and he analyses developments as they affect Ireland with insight and detachment. In other words…
India: A man prepares tea for customers on a cold morning in New Delhi. Winter takes a heavy toll each year around northern India, as poverty forces many homeless people to live outdoors.
Colm Fitzpatrick explores ways to combat seasonal sadness The Christmas holidays are a highlight in almost everybody’s calendars, but the season can be tinged with unexpected feelings of unhappiness and loneliness, with these spilling over or bubbling up in January. The ‘Christmas blues’ or ‘post-holiday depression’ is a phenomenon that can affect anyone, and…
Peter Sutherland was a brave and highly competent Attorney General of Ireland, between 1981 and 1984, and also one of its youngest ever. He impressed civil servants and Ministers by his decisiveness and his grace under pressure, especially in dealing with difficult terrorist/extradition cases. Although his subsequent public and business career took him to live…
Colm Fitzpatrick