Awakening Inner Peace: A Little Books of Hours by Sister Stan (Columba Books, €12.99 / £10.99) This little book, harking back to the pre-Reformation books of hours, though it lacks illustrations, might be called ‘the very rich hours’ of Sr Stanislaus. Certainly her intention, like those ancient books, is to enrich the daily prayer life of…
I listen with interest to debates about gender, sexism and political correctness, and often these are interrelated. On Prime Time (RTÉ1) on Tuesday of last week, Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor defended her creation of women-only professorships – it’s a “positive discrimination” measure that has met with everything from whole-hearted support to derision. Prof. Patricia Casey thought…
“Church archives and the records of ecclesiastical bodies such as religious orders of priests, nuns and brothers are what stitches together the rent and ragged fabric of Irish history,” says UCD’s Prof. John McCafferty, beginning an enthralling podcast on the Royal Irish Academy website, ria.ie. ‘In time of inquistion: preserving and using the archives of…
Fr Vincent Sherlock It was one of those celebrity interviews. The interviewee was speaking about social media, his own use of it and value it has for him. He spoke too about the fears he has in maybe mistakenly using it and sending out a message that might be stupid, insensitive, mis-judged or hurtful.…
Young prisoners not forgotten in World Youth Day plans Encounters with young people in prison and living with HIV will feature in Pope Francis’ itinerary when he visits Panama for World Youth Day, the Vatican has announced. The January 23-27 visit will be the Pope’s 26th trip outside Italy, and will see the Pontiff celebrating two Masses and a penitential liturgy as well…
A leading agency working with people experiencing homelessness has said it expects the crisis to get worse as Christmas approaches. Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) has predicted a “surge” in demand for vital services warning that it has already seen an increased demand on last year in recent months. “We do our best, but we do…
Irish eyes were certainly smiling in Dublin at the weekend as Ireland secured an historic win over the All Blacks, but star player Jacob Stockdale takes it all in his stride putting his rugby career firmly in the hands of God. The Ulster player – who electrified the Aviva Stadium with his winning try over…
A hard border being erected between the north and south will give “oxygen” to dissident groups who will use it as an opportunity to promote paramilitary violence, a well-known priest has said. Fr Gary Donegan CP, nationally renowned for his ongoing commitment to conflict resolution and peace building in the North of Ireland, said that…
Dublin is to host a major retreat for women this weekend as the first international event held by the US-based ‘Blessed Is She’ movement. Originally planned to take place at a city centre location, huge demand meant the two-day retreat had to be moved to the Emmaus Centre in Swords, Co. Dublin, where Archbishop Diarmuid…
A new 32-county, pro-life republican party will give a voice to the disillusioned and unrepresented citizens of Ireland, former Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín has said. The Meath West TD, who resigned from Sinn Féin last week following a six-month suspension for refusing to vote for the removal of the Eighth Amendment, said the new…
Peter Costello
Brendan O’Regan
Greg Daly
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick