A study on the Irish Christian Brother who founded Scottish football club Glasgow Celtic has commenced in Scotland. The impact of Celtic FC founder Br Walfrid on social, cultural and religious identities in Scotland will form part of a new £25,000 (€28,000) study by the University of Stirling. The research will investigate the life and…
Snow much fun for Galway Poor Clares With heaps of snow showering Ireland recently an enclosed community of nuns couldn’t help but make the most of the weather phenomenon. The Abbess, Sr Colette said: “The fun we had over the few days just seemed natural. St Francis was known for his love of nature and there are stories told of how he…
Unless (15A) What would make a normal young girl from a privileged home in Toronto drop out of college to live on the streets without telling anyone why? That’s the central conundrum surrounding this captivating moodpiece from Alan Gilsenan which begins – appropriately – with a song from Canada’s prime avatar of angst and alienation,…
Text of keynote address by Mary McAleese, President of Ireland 1997-2011, at the Voices of Faith International Women’s Day Conference. Theme: Why women matter. March 8, 2018 at the Jesuit Curia, Rome “Historical oppression of women has deprived the human race of untold resources, true progress for women cannot fail to liberate enormous reserves…
Creating a context for Christian conversations is vital, writes Colm Fitzpatrick Tackling the new surge of apathy towards the Christian faith in our modern world, a dynamic evangelical programme is hoping to put the message of the Gospels back on the radar. The Alpha course, originally developed by the Anglican Church in the late…
David Kennedy In his letter on the joy of love, Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis calls on Catholic families to live their Easter faith and to recognise that at its centre one finds authentic Christian hope. In fact, he emphasises that “in our own day dominated by stress and rapid technological advances, one of the…
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that it has been five years since the dreary rainswept evening when the little-known Archbishop of Buenos Aires appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica having just been elected as Pope Francis. Dressed in a simple white cassock and introducing himself to the world with an almost faltering buona…
Toddlers are criminals. At least they would be if they were not below the age of criminal responsibility. If they were held to the same standards as the rest of us, the police would be overwhelmed with reports of toddler-related public disorder, affray, criminal damage, riot and assault. If charged with such crimes, most toddlers…
Church leaders have offered their condolences upon the death of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who although did not believe in God, fostered a fruitful dialogue between science and faith. The British-born scientist who died today at the age of 76 was an esteemed member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The academy, which Pope Pius…
Speaking on the topic of the Lord’s prayer, Pope Francis has said that forgiving those who have caused pain or offense is not easy. At his weekly general audience today, the Pontiff said that ability to forgive is “grace that we have to ask for”, because the peace offered by Christ cannot take root in…
Aubrey Malone
Colm Fitzpatrick
Michael Kelly