Dear Editor, It was heartwarming to read how the Vatican has given permission for an investigation to begin into the sanctity of Fr Ragheed Ganni and his fellow martyred clerics, opening the door to these inspirational men being raised to the altars of the Church (IC 17/5/2018). Anyone who knows anything about these men won’t…
A Little Book of Encouragement edited by Vinita Hampton Wright, adapted from Sacred Space the Prayer Book (Messenger Publications, €9.95) The items in this book have been adapted from the prayer site, but this book is small enough to fit in a briefcase, pocket or handbag. Here are warm words of encouragement that will lift the…
Personal Profile Colm Fitzpatrick speaks with the new Prior of Lough Derg With the summer months of sun and holidays fast approaching, one man is preparing to greet pilgrims from all over the world for a spiritual retreat in a small island in Donegal. Lough Derg, which has been a place of Christian pilgrimage…
Claire Giangravè Only 11 miles away from the Turkish coast, the Greek spearhead-shaped island of Rhodes is accustomed to seeing Muslims docking on its rocky shores. In the past, religious knights took arms against these strangers, but today a handful of friars warmly welcomes them with food and clothes. When Franciscan Friar John Luke…
The return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar has again stalled after Bangladesh and Myanmar officials failed to fix a start date for actual repatriation. A Joint Working Group responsible for overseeing the repatriation of Rohingya refugees held its second meeting in four months in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, but were unable to agree on a date…
Green Fingers The main reason to grow plants, be they trees, shrubs, flowers, fruit or vegetables, is the pleasure we get from it. It doesn’t matter whether you measure your garden in hectares or your balcony in metres – grow something. It is from June onwards that your hard work over the last few…
Archbishop Eamon Martin and the Church of Ireland Archbishop Richard Clarke will lead people of varying ages and backgrounds on pilgrimage next week. To mark the centenary of World War I Protestants and Catholics will visit historic and poignant sites relating to the war. It will culminate in a reflective visit to the Island of…
Limerick sing song – come along! For enthusiasts of singing, sightseeing and entertainment, the Limerick Sings International Choral Festival will be returning for its sixth year, designed to offer choirs of all traditions an opportunity to come together without the demands of a competition. Limerick City has a long tradition of choral, opera and musical…
In a letter sent to all Catholic parishes over the weekend, Bishop Joseph Toal, who is responsible for safeguarding on behalf of the Bishops of Scotland, has marked the publication of new national safeguarding standards which come into force on Monday May 21. In his letter, Bishop Toal commended the publication of In God’s Image,…
The SDLP may be down but it’s not out, writes Greg Daly Sinn Féin’s victory in the West Tyrone by-election this month was not unexpected, but though Órfhlaith Begley comfortably succeeded her party colleague Barry McElduff, winning 46% of the vote, a more interesting story might be told by looking at shifting vote shares.…
Colm Fitzpatrick
Paul Gargan
Greg Daly