The Irish in the Resistance: The untold stories of the ordinary heroes who resisted Hitler by Clodagh Finn and John Morgan (Gill Books, €15.99 / £13.99) Ireland was neutral in World War 11 but as a concession to embattled Britain, Taoiseach Eamon de Valera did not prevent Irish citizens from enlisting in the British forces. But…
Cardinal Timothy Dolan You’ve seen those ‘bulletin bloopers.’ I enjoy them. Here’s one: “The topic for next week’s sermon will be ‘What will hell be like? Come early and listen to the choir.’” Thank God that can’t be said about most of the choirs I’m grateful to hear at Sunday Masses here in the archdiocese.…
The Benedictine nuns of the Kylemore Abbey located in Connemara, Co. Galway celebrated the opening of a new monastery on August 17. The official blessing ceremony of the new purpose-built home for the fifteen nuns, was led by Archbishop of Tuam Francis Duffy. The building was originally planned to be completed by December 2020, as part…
Part 1 of a new series on Faith in modern Ireland with Eoin McCormack Have you ever found yourself in the often-awkward position at work or in other social settings where you are elected as the spokesperson for all things Catholic? As society continues to diverge from the Church, if you’re a practicing Catholic in…
It is not a surprise the number of active priests has been dropping drastically in the past decades. This issue can be seen in every diocese throughout the country, and a five-minute talk with any bishop or priest about the matter would leave you astonished. The August 15 issue of The Irish Catholic mentioned the…
The Return of the White Canons: The Modern Norbertines in Britain by Aidan Nichols (Gracewing, £12.99 / €14.99) Aidan Nichols is a Dominican friar, with a special interest in ecumenism, who has an established reputation as a writer on Catholic theology and culture. His latest book concerns the revival of the White Canons, the Canons Regular…
In Scotland, the bishops’ conference has submitted evidence to the Scottish Parliament Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on a proposal to legalise assisted suicide. Liam McArthur, a member of the Scottish Parliament, introduced the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill earlier this year. It would allow terminally ill adults in Scotland to…
The annual Knock Novena concluded today (August 22), featuring its typical array of intriguing speakers giving witness to the Faith and imparting perspectives and insights to imbue pilgrims from far and wide in an increasingly challenging climate. This year’s Novena saw bishops, priests, nuns, singers, authors and academics make appearances and attest to why their…
Some years ago, an op-ed piece appeared in the New York Times by Frank Bruni, entitled The Wages of Celibacy. The column, while provocative, was fair. Mostly he asked a lot of hard, necessary questions. Looking at the various sexual scandals that have plagued the Roman Catholic priesthood in the past years, Bruni suggested that…
“I believe in evolution. I’m an atheist” was the declaration of one man on meeting him recently. But is it a case of ‘either/or’ or ‘both/and’? Is it possible to accept the theory of evolution and still believe in a Creator God? ‘Both/And’, Not ‘Either/Or’ The ‘either/or’ choice of evolution or Biblical faith is based…
Renata Steffens
Peter Costello
Brandon Scott
Fr Ronald Rolheiser