Lent began last week, with many gathering to celebrate the Catholic Faith on Ash Wednesday. Starting the 40-days journey not only with Mass, but also with priests going to the streets to meet the faithful. Queen’s University Belfast gathered over 2,000 people (students, staff and friends) across three Masses celebrated on Ash Wednesday. Fr John…
The truths of our faith make responsible living possible says, Fr Chris Hayden If I had a euro for every time I was asked to keep my homily short, I mightn’t quite have enough for a long weekend in a spa resort, but I’d probably manage a very decent main course in the restaurant.…
Syria’s top Christian leaders have condemned the recent killing and wounding of hundreds of Alawites, many civilians, by security forces and Islamist gunmen linked to the country’s new rulers. The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) issued an urgent appeal for prayers, warning of escalating violence that has targeted innocent civilians, including…
People across Sri Lanka have united to protect elephants, an animal revered in Buddhist culture, after increasing deaths from collisions with passenger trains. The issue garnered widespread attention after a passenger train truck a herd, killing six elephants in Habarana. In response, the Centre for Environmental Justice petitioned Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court urging coordinated efforts…
Questions of faith? Q: At a recent Mass, the priest talked about “mortal sin,” about which I’d previously heard, but then he mentioned “venial sins” and “temporal sins,” and even “sins of omission.” I’m not familiar with these, especially the last one. How can a person commit a sin without doing anything? A: Every…
Baroness Nuala O’Loan has said that religious orders could help parishes and dioceses by selling assets to financially support evangelisation. She said that some people find strength during difficult times by simply sitting in a church or taking part in community activities. However, maintaining those churches and resources open can be a financial difficulty to…
Catholicism in Ireland has always been about more than just traditions and celebrations. It has been a pursuit of something higher. Ireland was never a land of passive spectators waiting for life to happen. Instead, it was a place where individuals intentionally sought to live their faith with profound commitment and courage. Lately, I’ve been…
The ‘ReArm Europe’ plan proposes 800 billion euros of arms spending in the Old Continent. But would this really guarantee our security? The increase in economic resources for armaments has once again become an instrument of relations between states, showing that peace is only possible and achievable if it is based on a balance…
Letters Dear Editor, The snakes are back! Poor St Patrick, even after driving out the snakes of pre-Christian paganism, here, they reappear, in the form of our annual An Post, contribution for the feast or rather now, the festival of St Patrick’s Day, as they call it. They are multicoloured and long. What is…
Sherry Weddell was stumped. She had given dozens of parish seminars before, helping parish leaders discover their God-given charism, and interviewing them one-to-one to discern how the Spirit was moving in each of their lives. But with this particular woman, the interview was getting nowhere: though she was a parish leader, there seemed to be…
Renata Steffens
Renata Milán Morales