Róise McGagh looks at how gardening can be not only a great hobby, but can have a positive impact on your mindset and mental well-being “If you put a seed in the ground it will do it’s best to grow,” says Jennifer Sleeman, an environmentalist and prominent Catholic convert now in her 90th year. She…
A missionary priest has expressed his “joy” and “surprise” after a video was released showing that his brother, who was kidnapped in 2018, is still alive. Fr Walter Maccalli was relieved after discovering the news from watching a 23-second video showing his sibling, Fr Pierluigi Maccalli, and another man last week. The priest told Catholic…
The Hidden Power of Kindness: A Practical Handbook for Souls Who Dare to Transform the World, One Deed at a Time by Lawrence G. Lovasik (Sophia Institute Press, Kindle edition $US9.99) Here is another book for these lockdown days. The author sets out to provide a practical handbook for those who wish to make kindness a…
‘Faith Survival Kits’ were handed out to several parishes in Down and Connor over Easter. They contain a prayer, some reading material, parish updates and sometimes a candle, a mini Easter egg or some holy water. In the parish of Ardkeen they began giving packs out almost a month ago. Paula McKeown, a parish volunteer,…
The call to stay home and save lives is also an inner call, write Declan Marmion and Ann Guinee Covid-19 has disrupted our lifestyles, our work, and our way of communicating with each other. The initial impulse to stockpile, whether it was toilet paper or hand sanitiser, was a balm of sorts. Happily, that…
The Church in Tanzania is keeping its doors open while the rest of world closes places of worship to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Thousands of people are turning up for public Masses after a presidential directive stated churches and mosques could remain open so people could seek refuge, according to Church sources. Other…
Letter from Rome Christopher White On the same day that Pope Francis was elected in 2013, the head of the World Council of Churches (WCC) was meeting with colleagues discussing how to “develop a wholeness in our ecumenical work” when he offered the example of Francis of Assisi. “He [Francis of Assisi] is a…
Ruadhan Jones A number of religious leaders, including Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, held a conference call with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to discuss the Covid-19 emergency on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Mr Varadkar sought their views into how we can care for our communities and our most vulnerable at this time. He thanked…
Pope Benedict XVI celebrates his 93rd birthday on April 16, which comes three days prior to the 15th anniversary of when he started his Papacy. Benedict, born Joseph Ratzinger, served as head of the Church and sovereign of the Vatican from April 19, 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II, until his resignation…
Personal Profile In August 2019 Mary Gannon was asked by her parish priest, Fr Odhran Furlong, to come up to him after Thursday morning Mass. He told her that at 11am on Sunday, Bishop Denis Brennan would be presenting her with the Benemerenti medal. “It was unbelievable really because it was something that I…