The Sunday Gospel While the first reading and responsorial psalm are chosen to connect with the Gospel of the day, it occasionally happens that the second reading touches on the same theme. The mercy of God to sinners features in each text this Sunday. In the first reading (Exodus 32:7-11.13-14), when the Israelites worshipped a calf…
For almost 60 years a British journalist, Alistair Cooke had a weekly show on BBC Radio 4 called Letter from America looking at various topics from an American perspective. I feel a little like that this month as I’m writing this piece while sitting in a café just across the street from the White House.…
Artists encouraged at Vatican to promote beauty and truth September 1 marked the final day of a two-day meeting in the Vatican’s Casina Pio IV aimed at promoting a conversation on how to use the arts to foster a culture of hope and unity. The “Vitae Summit”, organised by the Vitae Global Foundation, was animated…
Several of this week’s stories and programmes had me thinking about the importance of visionary leadership and how that quality is largely lacking these days, especially in the political arena. The death last week of Mikhail Gorbachev, former premier of the Soviet Union, reminded us of a time when political leaders East and West were…
How to Succeed in Secondary School: A Practical Guide by Tony Bellew (Orpen Press, €15.00/£13.00pb) These first weeks of September, what with the anxieties of students of all ages about going back to school, the stress and strain on teachers, parents, and indeed families is very real. Their worries are not just economic, but also…
Dear Editor, I am delighted with the news that the cause of seven Columban priests who served in Korea has been sent to the Vatican for approval opening the way for their eventual sainthood [The Irish Catholic – July 28, 2022]. I wish to point out that there are 17 other Columban martyrs including one…
Editor’s Comment After the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) great emphasis was placed on the restoration of the ancient order of the permanent diaconate. For many centuries, diaconate had been seen as just one more stop on the road to priesthood. The Church wanted to restore the tradition of the early Church where…
Heed the voice of creation – Diocese of Kerry The Diocese of Kerry is calling on people of faith to “listen to the voice of creation” this Season of Creation. The season runs from September 1 to October 4, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, when Christian Churches around the world focus on prayer…
Ruadhán Jones and Jason Osborne Parishioners across the country with spare rooms near universities are being asked to take in hard-pressed students who are struggling to find accommodation as the college year begins. Third-level institutions across the Republic are warning of an unprecedented crisis with fears that some students may be unable to attend college…
Staff Reporter Derry’s close-knit Indian Catholic community has been left shaken and “heartbroken” after two teen- agers died in a drowning tragedy on Monday evening. Reuven Simon and Joseph Sebastian – Syro Malabar Catholics – died after getting into difficulty at Enagh Lough. Four other teenagers who are also members of the community survived. Fr…
Brendan O’Regan
Peter Costello
Michael Kelly
Ruadhán Jones