I teach a course on the renowned mystic John of the Cross. Since this is never a required course for any student, I usually begin the first class by asking each student why he or she is interested in this course. The answers vary widely: “I am taking this course because my spiritual director told…
It was another very bad week for children – killed by adults in Gaza, Ukraine and Minneapolis. The coverage was dispiriting, and anyone trying to deny the existence of evil in the world must have been sorely challenged. When I first heard of the Minneapolis school shooting, I was shocked enough, though it has become…
When I think back on childhood, my grandfather’s garden in Rathkenny, Co. Meath often comes to mind. Hydrangeas, roses, lupins, and marigolds bloomed in neat order, a little world of colour and care. For me, it was something like a miniature Chelsea Flower Show—alive, vibrant, and ordered. It is no surprise that Scripture so often…
I recently wrote about the clergy in 1940s films. Gregory Peck played a liberal Scottish priest in Keys of the Kingdom in 1944. The film was based on A.J. Cronin’s 1941 novel centering on the efforts of one Fr Francis Chisholm (Peck) to open people’s eyes to the wider message of the Gospels in China.…
Mystical Crooner: The Lives of Leonard Cohen, by Aubrey Malone (Wisdom Twins Books / Lulu.com, £15.99) This book by our film critic provides an engaging overview of the complicated career of the Canadian poet, novelist and singer, “a charismatic Jew from Montreal’s French Quarter”. These contending identities provide much of the tension of…
Discovering St Patrick, by Thomas O’Loughlin (Darton, Longman & Todd, €15.00 / £10.95) St Patrick is universally identified with Ireland and the Irish. St Patrick’s Day is one of those few festivals that are celebrated around the world, so much so that it has become more of a carnival than a mere religious feast…
Ireland’s Curious Places: 100 fascinating, lesser-known treasures to discover, by Michael Fewer (Gill Books, €16.99 / £14.99) Irish Fairy Forts: Portals to the Past, by Jo Kerrigan and Richard Mills (O’Brien Books, €19.99 / £17.99) What with the effects of climate change and the rising objections to mass tourism around the world, it is…
At every wedding I have celebrated, before they exchange their vows, there is one question I ask of the couple which always strikes me. “Will you accept with love the children God may send you?” Without hesitation they reply “Yes.” It is a beautiful moment, but what strikes me most is the weight of that…
“Age of strong men”: Martin Selmayr warns of uncertainty in world relations and argues in favour of a strong EU stance. At the Catholic annual reception in Dresden, the diplomat had clear words. According to the EU Ambassador to the Holy See, Martin Selmayr, the world is in an “age of aggressive competition between powers”,…
While the Gaza war rages on, diplomatic efforts are being made to find ways to achieve peace. The Vatican is playing an important role in these endeavours. Israeli President Isaac Herzog will be travelling to the Vatican on Thursday to visit Pope Leo XIV. The focus of the visit “at the Pope’s invitation” will be…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Brendan O’Regan
Fr Barry White
Aubrey Malone
Peter Costello