I was unable to view RTÉ’s recent programme Housewife of the Year, because I am not presently in Ireland, and the RTÉ player doesn’t allow access to viewers outside the State. So, I won’t comment on the quality or content of Ciaran Cassidy’s documentary, which examines RTÉ’s Housewife of the Year TV contest, running from…
After 12 years of research and tests, a miracle in the district of Kannur in Kerala, India was officially recognised by the Holy See. During Mass in the Christ the King Church, Vilakkannur Parish in 2013, Fr Thomas Pathikal spotted the face of Jesus on the sacramental host. It was officially stated as a miracle…
Aaron Kernan thinks back on his childhood in Crossmaglen, his memories aren’t dominated by the turbulence of The Troubles or the sight of British soldiers patrolling his streets in full combat gear. What he remembers most is football – and faith. Born in 1983, the second of five boys in a tight-knit family, Aaron was…
Paolo Affatato The best time to visit Genazzano, a picturesque medieval town in Lazio, about 45 km south of Rome, is early July — when the streets themselves bloom beneath your feet. The town is famous for its Infiorata, a traditional flower festival held on the first Sunday of July to mark the feast of…
Released during the sombre hours of Good Friday, Sins of Ireland is the latest film from solicitor-turned-filmmaker Alex Fegan, known for documentaries like The Irish Pub and Older than Ireland. Sixteen years ago, he left the law business to pursue his passion and has never looked back—joking that “the only skill that transferred over was…
As tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire, Pope Leo XIV Wednesday afternoon had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Pope’s phone conversation with Putin, confirmed by a Vatican spokesman late Wednesday night, came the same day that United States President Donald Trump had…
Being an active Catholic is not about membership of parish groupings, but living out the faith in the world, says Fr Chris Hayden What is an ‘active’ Catholic? What is an ‘involved’ one? In Church circles, words like ‘active’ and ‘involved’ are so familiar we can easily take their meaning for granted. Let us, for…
Over the course of my lifetime, the Catholic Church has had six popes – St Paul VI, John Paul I, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Pope Leo XIV. Paul VI was pope when I was born, and I cannot say that I remember the elections of either John Paul I or…
Digital evangelisation is a real thing and its happening faster than expected, Rohith Kinattukara writes As I write this article, the Pope has now reached 13.8 million followers on Instagram, taking him only 3 days to reach this number. This platform has millions of users ranging from different demographics and age groups. Pope Leo’s first ever…
Hope is a funny thing. Everybody choses to be hopeful in different ways, says Rachel Garde In today’s world it is more difficult to have hope, we tend to fall into a trap of despair. Despair of the future and what will happen next, despair for our climate and as youth despair for what our…
Mary Kenny