My first words go to the priests, diocesan and religious. I say to you what St Paul said to Timothy. I ask you “to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when (the Bishop) laid (his) hands on you” (2 Tim 1 :6). […] As priests, you are privileged to be pastors of…
The parish of St Joseph, St Benildus and St Mary’s in Co. Waterford will celebrate the bicentenary of St Mary’s Church in Ballygunner with talks and events from March 26 to 30. Fr Liam Power, PP told The Irish Catholic the church was built in 1825, just before the Catholic emancipation in 1829. Local historian,…
If there is a poverty in our Church today, it is above all, a poverty of imagination, the Archbishop of Dublin has said. “Renewal in the faith is not going to come because we adopt some new management strategy that will address our current shortcomings in ministry and mission. Renewal in faith requires a new…
In this series of articles, I summarise and reflect on current data which reveals where the Church in Ireland is today and importantly how this informs our step towards the future. Firstly, I will focus on where we are now. Sociologists and anthropologists have taken to religious study across the world to explore secularisation and…
On a windy hill in the north of Ireland, I visited a grave claiming to be St Patrick’s. A couple of other sites vie for that honour, but this hill is a deeply moving place. During St Patrick’s season, my thoughts turn to two other Irishmen on the road to sainthood. There’s Blessed John Sullivan,…
Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín TD has called for urgent action following a judgment delivery on how Tusla handled the cases in which children under their care have been left without a designated social worker. Deputy Tóibín said that “there are some very concerning revelations in this judgement. Tusla are supposed to ‘re-enter’ a case in…
The modern trend in education is towards the co-ed school. Single-sex schools are in decline, and often regarded as archaic relics of a past time, unhealthily segregating boys and girls, Taliban-style. But what strikes me as I watch schoolkids piling boisterously onto trains and buses is how uneven the physical development of boys and girls…
Q: I know the Church investigates divorces and grants a “Decree of Nullity” if there is sufficient evidence of some foundational issue with the marriage, such as deception, unwillingness to have children or emotional problems. But what about cases where there was an affair/adultery and where the cheating spouse admits it? Would this involve annulment…
Understandably the North of Ireland gets in the limelight when programme makers turn their attention to St Patrick’s Day. Catherine Fulvio’s St Patrick’s Way (RTÉ One, Thursday and Friday) saw the well-known TV chef take the St Patrick’s pilgrimage route from Navan Fort in Armagh to Downpatrick in Co. Down. She was a cheerful and…
In 2023, young Catholics from the Diocese of Rumbek, South Sudan, organised a 240-mile walking pilgrimage to Juba for Pope Francis’ visit. What began as a one-time journey has now become an annual tradition. Sr Orla Treacy, an Irish religious of the Loreto Sisters, recalled the enthusiasm of the young South Sudanese eager to see…
Renata Steffens
Mary Kenny
Brendan O’Regan