Jodi Martin Accompaniment is the key to addressing modern catechetical challenges, a method that’s at the centre of a new entity being created under the direction of Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catechism. A proposal to create an Institute for the Catechism was…
Month: July 2021
Just reward for the ‘silent member’ of Radharc
Personal Profile On July 6, Mr Peter Dunn was awarded a Papal Honour by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Dermot Farrell. Archbishop Farrell said the award recognised Mr Dunn’s “tireless” work for the Radharc Trust “to ensure that the Radharc programmes and the essential Christian values they embody should not be forgotten”. Mr Dunn self-deprecatingly…
Irish religious, charities call on Govt to address global vaccine inequity
The World Health Organisation and UNAIDS have joined Irish religious orders and charities in calling the Irish Government to “take a stand for fairness” over Covid-19 vaccine inequity. Trócaire, Oxfam Ireland, the Association of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI) and other organisations launched the People’s Vaccine Alliance July 8, along with Dr Mike Ryan…
Why stay in the Church?
Several weeks ago after giving a lecture at a religious conference, the first question from the audience was this one: How can you continue to stay in a Church that played such a pivotal part in setting up and maintaining residential schools for the indigenous people of Canada? How can you stay in a Church…
Vatican Roundup
Pope offers condolences after assassination of Haiti’s president In a telegram addressed to the Apostolic Nuncio in Haiti, Pope Francis said “Upon hearing the news of the heinous assassination of His Excellency Mr Jovenel Moïse, President of Haiti,” he offers his condolences “to the Haitian people and to his wife, who was also seriously wounded…
Dad’s Diary
“I really love you dad.” Such words, when so sincerely spoken, by such a small girl, would melt the hardest heart. Her follow-on phrase, however, led me to better understand the proximate cause of this profound outburst of affection, “I also really love your chocolate,” she said, in a pointed reference to the piece of chocolate I’d…
Covid hits Irish missionaries hard, but still much to offer
The CEO of Misean Cara tells Ruadhán Jones about Covid’s unique challenges for Irish Missionaries As Misean Cara’s new CEO says, it is not a secret that the Irish missionary is ageing and declining in numbers at home and abroad, a fact exacerbated by Covid-19. The face of the Irish, faith-based missionary organisation is changing,…
‘Come away and rest a little…’
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. I will always remember the first time I had to preach to a Sunday Mass congregation. All the prayers at Mass were then in Latin which very few understood, and the priest had his back to the people most of the time. I turned around to face…
In brief
Polish Catholic bishops’ leader: Church supports those opting for Covid-19 vaccine The president of Poland’s Catholic bishops’ conference said last Thursday that the Church supports those who opt to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki issued the statement July 8 as the Polish government seeks to expand its vaccination program ahead of a potential fourth wave…
Many politicians seem to have a portfolio of values
Writing this column is not a dangerous business, but some journalists do put their lives on the line in pursuit of their stories. Recently we had the shooting of Dutch journalist Peter R de Vries in the Netherlands and he’s still in critical condition at the time of writing. On Times Radio Breakfast last Saturday…


Ruadhán Jones

Fr Ronald Rolheiser





Brendan O’Regan