The Sunday Gospel Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. Last Sunday, we heard him say that he had come to bring fire to the earth and that he would have to plunge into the sea of suffering, a prospect that caused him great distress. Somebody came up to him and asked, “Sir, will there…
Synod not about giving space for loud voices – Bishop McKeown The synodal process is not about giving space for loud voices, it’s for people attuned to the Spirit, Bishop Donal McKeown has said. Speaking in his homily August 7, the bishop of Derry said we “commit ourselves to journeying in hope”, trusting that we…
Thomas Meagher: Forgotten Father of Thomas Francis Meagher by Eugene Broderick (Irish Academic Press, €29.95/£27.99) Thomas Meagher was described by Daniel O’Connell as “one of the best men that ever lived”. Yet he is only generally remembered as the father of Thomas Francis Meagher, the Young Irelander and later a Brigadier General in the US…
I was mobbed in the churchyard after Mass on the August bank holiday. We had just celebrated the Sacrament of the Sick during Mass, and there was just one question on everyone’s lips: “Would this be the last such Mass in Newcestown?” When I arrived in the parish in 2012, a lovely tradition was handed…
In the month of September, the world’s 2.2 billion Christians are invited to celebrate the Season of Creation which runs from the World Day of Prayer for Creation on September 1 to the Feast of St Francis of Assisi (October 4). This ecumenical season invites Christians to pray with and for creation, to reflect on…
On Monday, the Swiss Bishops’ Conference published a document for the upcoming Synod on Synodality in Rome reporting the Catholic Church was seen as suffering from clericalism —as well as “denying equality to women” and excluding “people with LGBTQ identity”. “Several official church positions on the role of women in church and society, on sexuality…
Ireland’s national synthesis was released on August 16. Here is a summary of the 15 key themes that emerged during the listening sessions in Ireland’s dioceses, along with some other issues that didn’t feature as prominently throughout the discussions. The document will now be forwarded to the Synod Secretariat in the Vatican as part of the…
Catholics want greater transparency, participation in decision-making and accountability within parish and diocesan structures, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh has said. Publishing the synodal synthesis document this afternoon (Thursday) – which was this week forwarded to the Holy See – the Primate of All-Ireland acknowledged that the report reflects the challenges of “a major decline…
Tributes have poured in for the “humble” and “powerful” Bro. Kevin Crowley OFM Cap. who will retire after decades of feeding the poor. Bro. Kevin told The Irish Catholic he will miss working with the homeless “who I love so much”. The 87-year-old hopes to hand over the reins of the Capuchin Day Centre in…
A lack of investment in primary schools is seeing teacher shortages and hikes in energy prices becoming increasingly problematic before the next academic year according to a representative of a Catholic schools’ body. Oversized classes “Unacceptably high” levels of oversized classes continue to plague Irish primary schools as well, despite improvements in recent years, according…
Ruadhán Jones
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady