The first woman to preside over a Synod of Bishops described the experience of sitting with Pope Francis at the head table as “a gift and a grace” – and a sign of things to come in the Church. Speaking at a press briefing today, Sr Maria de los Dolores Valencia Gomez, a Sister of…
Journey to the Light: Daily Readings through Advent and Christmas, by John Mann, foreword by Bishop Brendan Leahy (Messenger Publications, €12.95 /£11.95) Advent and Christmas 2023, from the website of Sacred Space (Messenger Publications, €7.95 / £6.95) Every year it has been customary for everyone to complain about Christmas “coming too soon”, as a…
Jem Sullivan 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 45:1, 4-6 Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 1 Thes 1:1-5b Mt 22:15-21 “I am the Lord, there is no other,” the prophet Isaiah tells us in simple, evocative words. God’s power is universal, loving, and mysterious. And all earthly power comes from God, as…
Thankfully all 52 of our Holy Land pilgrims are safe and well after the unprecedented situation of finding ourselves in Israel when war broke out with the militant faction Hamas. The group of pilgrims arrived back in Dublin Airport on Thursday evening on a direct El Al flight from Tel Aviv, but the flight was…
October means only one thing for Irish opera lovers – the Wexford Festival founded in 1951 by local GP and opera enthusiast, Dr Tom Walsh. His idea was the revival of operas that had disappeared from the repertoire and injecting them with new life. While this policy continues, Wexford also produces relatively recent compositions. This…
Dear Editor, I am deeply saddened by the recent escalations of violence in the Holy Land. The world witnessed the tragic events that unfolded, Hamas launching a terrorist attack on Israel, and Israel’s large-scale military action in Gaza. These events have brought immense suffering and loss to both sides – we must implore for peace.…
In such fractious times it’s reassuring to find a programme that accentuates the positive, and you’ll frequently find that on TG4. Tarrthálaithe na hÉireann (TG4, Thursdays) is a new series highlighting the work of the rescue services. Last week’s episode featured the work of mountain rescue teams, with a particular focus on Reek Sunday in…
The Government is giving in to the “ideological colonisation” of developing countries by supporting radical pro-abortion groups such as Planned Parenthood, the Pro Life Campaign’s national conference heard. Hundreds of people attended the conference in the RDS, Dublin, on Saturday, October 14. Keynote speaker Obianuju Ekeocha, founder of Culture of Life Africa, warned that Western…
Irish pilgrims in the Holy Land as war broke out this week say they are praying for peace, in the hope that escalating violence will not continue.
Proposed exclusion zone legislation aimed at silencing pro-life witness is a “draconian” restriction on free expression and freedom of belief, Bishop Kevin Doran has said.
Peter Costello
Michael Kelly
Brendan O’Regan
Ruadhán Jones