Martina PurdyIt was Christmas Eve, 1977, and my brothers and I had finally stopped waking up my parents, in the wee small hours, as we crept a little too noisily along the hall to see if Santa had arrived. My mother, one eye open and one eye closed, would meet us on the stairs, around one…
Month: December 2024
Bishops reflect on 2024 in their dioceses
Renata Steffens
Looking back at the Kilmore Diocese in 2024, Bishop Martin Hayes said they had significant events. “We had our pilgrimage to Lourdes. One of the features of it was that we brought some young people.” The young people who went on that pilgrimage raised the money to go, the bishop said. “They raised over 17,500…
Suffering, literature and the meaning of Advent
Renata Milán Morales
On the day Josephine Brady was diagnosed with cancer, the world seemed to shake. For this librarian and lover of literature, the initial shock was overwhelming. Yet, during the uncertainty, she found herself reaching for books. Not just any books, but ones that might help her understand the reality of her situation. The result of…
Living faith traditions as a family
Christmas is a time for traditions. Some families like to gather at the grandparents every year for a big dinner with the whole extended family, while others will watch together the same movie every year. Some families will pray together a certain number of evenings before Christmas, and others will help in charity events every…
An unusual Advent talk
Mary Kenny
We had an unusual Advent in the Kent parish of Deal: the parish priest, Canon Brian Coyle (originally from Northern Ireland) invited one of the parishioners to give a talk, with response and reflections from parishioners in true Synodal fashion. The subject involved the German Jesuit martyr, Fr Alfred Delp, hanged by the Nazis in…
The true meaning of Christmas
Generosity is part of our national identity, hears Renata Milán Morales For 100 years, the Christmas Day dinner has been a sign of hope and generosity for those in need in Dublin. Since its establishment in 1924, this event has grown into a tradition, offering not just meals but also companionship and a sense of…
Dublin Diocese highlights the importance of Eucharistic Adoration
Two Diocesan Eucharistic Adoration Committees have been commissioned on Saturday December 14 at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Paul Dempsey in St Mary’s Pro Cathedral, Dublin. Each attendee received a badge of office blessed by the bishop. The formation and training took place during the months of October and November. The two committees, one for…
When did we see you… as a toddler and take care of you?
I’ve been a granny for 21 months. My grandson calls me MorMor which is a tradition we’ve taken from the Danish side of my family. It means Mother’s Mother. While looking after him I find myself thinking about Jesus at the same age, and naturally about his mother. And also about Joseph who, in today’s…
Airport church gets priest for Christmas
Chai Brady
The new chaplain of the church in Dublin airport has said he is “excited” to take up the role, just before Christmas. After months without a priest Fr Justin Obijuru took the reins in Our Lady Queen of Heaven in the second week of December, just in time for Christmas. Fr Justin is from the…
Kilkenny Christmas Crib Walk touches locals ‘very deeply’
Brandon Scott
The annual Kilkenny Christmas Crib Walk, an event that has touched locals “very deeply” over the past 10 years, will return to the city on St Stephen’s Day. This year’s event will include a special prayer for peace in the Middle East and Bethlehem, calling on pilgrims to reflect on the ongoing conflict in the…