The crowds poured out of the trains arriving in Dublin last Saturday, evidently making for the ‘Gay Pride’ march in the capital. The rainbow colours were everywhere, and costumes ranged from the exotic to the unremarkable, and in age from tots to grannies. The atmosphere reminded me that there is a kind of joyfulness in…
Summer is the time of year when the Irish outdoors is at its most enticing. With nature at its flamboyant best and the sun setting late each evening, it is a hugely rewarding time to explore the countryside. So why not pull on the shorts, pack the suncream and explore the Irish countryside on one…
Unless you were hiding under a rock recently, you will at least have seen some of the images from the wedding of former TV presenter, Lauren Sanchez, to Jeff Bezos, the founder and head of Amazon and the world’s richest, or second richest man, depending on how these things are calculated. The wedding took over…
By Luca Attanasio Sr Rose Pacatte, FSP, is a renowned expert in media literacy, film criticism, and authorship. Born in the United States, she entered the Daughters of St Paul in 1967 and has been a member of the congregation for over five decades. She holds an M.Ed. in Media Studies from the University…
West Belfast is a place of murals and memories, where Irish tricolours flutter beside terraced rooftops and the faces of hunger strikers and republican heroes gaze down like saints from gable walls. It has withstood siege and sorrow, where identity isn’t worn but lived—staunchly Catholic, proudly nationalist, unshaken in its Irishness. And yet, for more…
By Dr Christopher Kwan Hoong Ng Newly minted Pope Leo XIV has identified artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the most critical matters facing us. After taking the helm of the Catholic Church, the new Pope laid out the vision of his papacy: “In our own day, the Church offers everyone the treasury of its…
On June 26, 2025, Pope Leo XIV visited the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome, where he presided over an afternoon session of the XVI Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops. The Pope, who serves as the council’s president, met with bishops and lay members to discuss the ongoing implementation…
The Tuam Mother and Baby Home’s reporting needs balance Dear Editor, that was a very welcome article on Tuam Mother and Baby Home (The Irish Catholic, June 19). To date there has been mostly hostile overage and certainly no balance. You mentioned Brian Nugent, who has written, among other articles, a book on the Tuam…
Catholic women religious and 20 US bishops have joined an interfaith coalition opposing President Donald Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it a “moral failure” that would deepen poverty and harm the vulnerable. On June 25, more than 60 congregations of women religious protested outside the US Capitol under the banner “Sisters Speak Out,”…
This may seem a frivolous or impious question, it’s anything but that. It’s an important question and a reverent one as well. Why? Because healthy humour and playful banter help bring joy, lightness of heart, and healthy perspective into our lives. Can we imagine all that wonderful lightness of heart having no connection to God?…
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
Fr Ronald Rolheiser