The Diocese of Waterford and Lismore has been hit by the double-withdrawal of the Dominican Friary on Bridge Street and the Franciscan Friary on Abbey Street in Clonmel, bringing a combined 1,500 years of faithful service in the area to an end. In a statement, Provincial for the Irish Franciscans Fr Aidan McGrath said the…
Staff reporter The parish priest of the late Jack de Bromhead’s hometown said there is a “deep, deep sadness” in the community. Jack (13), died over the weekend, September 3, after a horse racing accident at the Glenbeigh races on Rossbeigh beach in Co. Kerry. Fr Pat Fitzgerald PP of St Paul’s and Butlerstown in…
Ukrainian bishops praise efforts to restart schooling disrupted by war Ukrainian bishops welcomed efforts to restart classes for a new school year and offered church basements as emergency air raid shelters for children. “The Ukrainian authorities know education is vital for the country’s future, so everything is being done to get youngsters back to school,…
The death of former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev at the age of 91 has triggered an avalanche of commentary and tribute around the world, mostly focusing on Gorbachev’s role in the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet system for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. A sidebar to the story that probably deserves…
Irish Trappist Bro. Brian O’Dowd tells Rhina Guidos about finding his new spiritual home When Trappist Bro. Brian O’Dowd was looking for a new spiritual home, he set his sights on something different from his monastery in Ireland, built around a 13th-century Norman castle, where the religious community was dwindling. He found it, but with…
A Parent’s Perspective As summer ends, I always get a little bit of that melancholy back-to-school feeling even though it’s years since I set foot in a classroom. By the end of August the days are a bit shorter, many crops have already been harvested and there’s that undeniable hint of autumn in the air. I…
An American religious sister ministering in Burkina Faso who was kidnapped in April is free and safe after nearly five months of captivity, according to her congregation and the local diocese. Sr Suellen Tennyson, 83, a New Orleans native, has served at a missionary outpost in northern Burkina Faso since 2014. She was abducted by…
Hundreds of people gathered for the ordination to the priesthood of Frs Kellan Scott OP and Anthony Kavanagh OP in St Saviour’s Church, September 4. Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan ordained the two Dominicans, in front of many family members, friends and the wider Catholic community. Fr John Harris, prior provincial of the Dominicans in…
Junno Arocho Esteves The prophecies and revelations of St Bridget of Sweden, who lived in Rome for nearly 20 years until her death in 1373, were known for their direct reprimands to popes and princes alike, calling for an end to corruption and the start of reform within the Catholic Church. “She was not afraid…
Hollywood star Mickey Rourke opens up about God’s influence on his life, writes Ruadhán Jones “Most people would say – Mickey Rourke, you wouldn’t think he prays the rosary three times a day,” says the Hollywood star with a bad-boy reputation. “But maybe that’s why I’m still here.” Mr Rourke is probably best-known as a…
John L. Allen Jr.
Maria Byrne
Ruadhán Jones