With the current archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, sending his resignation to Pope Francis on his birthday in just over a month, April 8, The Irish Catholic looks at some likely contenders in the search for a new leader. Bishop of Ossory Dermot Farrell – ‘The Manager’ As a former President of Maynooth College…
Children’s Corner Are you a budding magician or maybe even fully grown one? Magic tricks are great fun for everyone and often have an element of science involved in their secret methods. In this trick you will make water totally disappear from a cup. This is based on science so get your goggles on, but…
Dear Editor, Many people are uncomfortable with clapping during Mass. Cardinal Francis Arinze said: “When we come to Mass, we don’t come to clap. We don’t come to watch people, to admire people. We want to adore God, to thank Him, to ask Him pardon for our sins, and to ask Him for what we…
An unexpected meeting of foreign ministers from China and the Vatican in Germany last week raised hopes of an improvement in relations between the two states sharing no diplomatic ties. Talks between China’s Wang Yi and Archbishop Paul Gallagher at the Munich Security Conference on February 14 were the first held between the sides since…
I’ve just returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Led by Bishop Kevin Doran, 100 Irish pilgrims visited the sites associated with the earthly life of Jesus. It’s always a fascinating and moving experience. As well as the Christian sites, that land is also holy to both Jews and Muslims and understanding this is…
Personal Profile “I work in the healing industry.” “It all began in Bundoran I suppose around 1985,” says Fr Noel Conlon. People would call to him and he would pray with them. Word quickly spread around the area, and “nearly overnight there was an awful crowd coming,” he tells The Irish Catholic. Fr Conlon, known…
Christopher Moriarty Woven Shades of Green: An anthology of Irish nature literature by Tim Wenzell (Bucknell University Press / distributed by Rutgers University Press, $US29.95/£24.95) As one of the many writers on Irish nature who is not included in this anthology, I have to declare an interest. The preface indicates that the omission…
Watching the news coverage last week, the atmosphere in Leinster House as the 33rd Dáil got under way was largely cheerful and celebratory – especially as we saw the newly elected TDs arrive in style or not, often with their proud families. However, on last Thursday night’s Nine News (RTÉ1) we saw things getting nasty…
The RDS was packed with people of all ages at the weekend for the Divine Mercy Conference. The three-day event is in its 29th year and ran under the theme ‘Deliver us from evil’. This was spoken about extensively by guest speakers which included Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, Fr…
It seems I can’t escape from Beethoven at the moment but then it is his 250th anniversary. A recent email from Gillian Hennessy of Cork’s Triskel Arts Centre tells me about its commemorative programmes. Supported by the National String Quartet Foundation, the final Triskel event takes place at lunchtime on Saturday, March 7 with the…
Michael Kelly
Brendan O’Regan