WMOF 2018 Bishop Donal McKeown has expressed his hope that Pope Francis will help Ireland wrestle with difficult questions facing both Church and State. Speaking to a packed St Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry for the diocesan opening ceremony for WMOF, he said it is always better to be unhappy with the right questions than…
WMOF 2018 Tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over Ireland have gathered in cathedrals across the country for simaltenous opening ceremonies for the World Meeting of Families. In Dublin, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin presided at evening prayer in the RDS – the main site of WMOF which is expected to attract some 37,000 pilgrims…
Introducing some of the liturgical elements featuring during WMOF2018 is Fr Damien McNeice, head of the Liturgy Committee. This includes the vestments worn during Masses, chalices, ciboria, the processional cross and the penal cross that will be on the altar during the Papal Mass in the Phoenix Park on August 26. Beside the new green…
Ahead of his historic trip to Ireland, Pope Francis has begged forgiveness of victims of abuse and acknowledged a widespread culture of cover-up in the Church. Writing in an unprecedented ‘letter to the People of God’ released by the Vatican this morning, Pope Francis says that the Church “showed no care for the little ones;…
WMOF 2018: Programme The congress of the World Meeting of Families is fast approaching, and as it kicks off in less than one week in the RDS, it is time to start planning. With some events taking place at the same time and in different locations, becoming familiar with the map of the RDS…
Cardinal Donald Wuerl Keynote Speaker – The Welfare of the Family is Decisive for the Future of the World The 77-year-old Archbishop of Washington, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, has long been a leading figure in the Church’s ‘new evangelisation’ project, giving lectures and publishing books on the subject for some years before the then Pope appointed him relator, or…
Despite being written thousands of years ago, it seems that Irish people still have a penchant for names found in the Bible, as over half of the top 10 names given to Irish new-born boys are found in the Scriptures, according to a new survey. Although there are countless names to choose from, research from…
A wise old bird – wise in the ways of public communication – once said to me: “You can’t be against everything – or be seen to be against everything. Pick your targets. Prioritise what’s important to you.” I would now, with respect, pass on that advice to Mary McAleese. You can’t be against everything in…
The search for love can be a tough one, so for some an event held just across the road from the RDS during the WMOF Pastoral Congress might be their chance to find romance. With thousands of people attending the WMOF Pastoral Congress from August 22-24 there will be a Catholic Speed Dating event held…
The View I attended the funeral of a dear family friend last week. The lady in question was a cherished mother, sister and friend. But above all, she was a beloved wife. Over more than half a century, she and her husband were truly united in marriage. They were and remain an inspirational example of…
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick
Mary Kenny
Maria Steen