Dancing with Time, by José María R. Olaizola SJ (€14.95 / 12.95) When this book first came into my hands, the title brought to mind at once Anthony Powell’s twelve volume novel A Dance to the Music of Time (1951-1975) concerning the continually shifting and ever interacting aspects of the life of a Welsh…
‘I get down on my knees and thank God that I’m still standing’ North of the border, Hugo Duncan is a household name on the radio, an ebullient, sprightly entertainer who regales his listeners with funny anecdotes, quips about his inordinate love of cream buns, shout-outs to aficionados in far-flung parts of the province and…
Among the religious authorities of Jerusalem, not only were the Pharisee Nicodemus and the prominent Joseph of Arimathea both secret disciples of Jesus, but there was also long-standing dissension about him, so much so that St John says of these authorities on the very eve of Christ’s Passion, “many believed in him”, though very imperfectly.…
You may still remember, Dear Reader, the formula you were taught while preparing yourself for the First Holy Confession. Although it’s been a long time since that day, I still clearly remember mine: “My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,…
In today’s diverse and scattered media landscape it’s rare to find a programme that everybody is talking about. Adolescence (Netflix) has bucked the trend, with its grim tale of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a female classmate. It’s dark stuff for sure, but relevant considering news stories of children murdering children. We surely have…
A new initiative is bringing the spirit of the Camino de Santiago to Ireland with the launch of the Pilgrim Passport. This passport connects three of Ireland’s most significant pilgrimage sites—Knock Shrine, Croagh Patrick, and Lough Derg—offering pilgrims the opportunity to mark their spiritual journey with official stamps from each location. The passport booklet provides…
When the late Pope John Paul ascended to the Papacy, he said that Europe must breathe through its two lungs, the tradition of the Western Roman rite and that of the Eastern Orthodox rite as well. Although I could not agree with him more, I would add the 50 million members of the Orient Orthodox…
Lebanon will soon have its own ‘camino,’ according to the Association of Pilgrimages in Lebanon (APL). Caminos Lebanon, unveiled on March 28 in Bkerké, aims to revitalise Christian religious tourism through a network of pilgrimage routes connecting the country’s historic and spiritual sites. The initiative, endorsed by Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi and Tourism…
Viva la Poesia!, edited by Antonio Spadaro SJ (Edizioni Ares Rome, €18.50); an English language version for the international market is due soon. While the Pope was recovering during his recent stay in hospital yet another new book bearing his name appeared in the book shops of Rome. Entitled Long Live Poetry! it focuses on…
Does loneliness affect your parish? A strange thing happened to me last month: three of the people I used to visit on my First Friday calls all went to the same nursing home, within a few weeks. That meant that my call list in one of my church areas was instantly reduced to zero. The…
Peter Costello
Renata Milán Morales
Fr Dominik Domagala
Brendan O’Regan