Unbeatable: Father Tom Jones: Handball Supremo, by Tom Looney (Red Stripe Press, €14.99) Tom Jones was born in Tralee, Co. Kerry, on December 23, 1868. In his early years, he attended the local Christian Brothers school and the local Dominican Classical school. As he intended to study for the priesthood in the diocese of Kerry,…
“I will be working until I’m 95”, said one of only two available priests in Wexford Town. Fr Michael O’Shea co-PP told The Irish Catholic that last Thursday he said five Masses, presided over a funeral, had a Pastoral meeting “and looked over the hospital all night,” all at 75 years of age. Due to…
A ‘Structured Dialogue’ meeting took place in September between faith leaders and the Government The Irish Catholic has learned. The Catholic Church has been pressing for engagement for years now and to have a system of meetings between Government and faith groups. The Taoiseach told the Dail in May of this year that “the most…
There is evidence that Ireland is becoming more cruel and less kind. Hardly a week goes by without some horrific case of domestic abuse, street assaults and attacks on IPAS centres that terrify people and put lives in danger. Hostile exchanges on social media are making matters worse. By way of response, the first thing…
In one sense, we might say that Christianity invented religion in that, before Christianity, communities of faith were mostly ethnically and tribally based. Jesus defined a family of faith differently, telling us that it is not the womb you were born out of, but the womb that you were reborn from that defines your family.…
At my parish, we pray “for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.” But at the other parish in town, they pray for “vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate, marriage, and religious life.” How many vocations are there actually? This is a tricky question to answer, because in our Catholic tradition the word ‘vocation’ can mean different…
Remember the song lyrics: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love!” It’s hard to disagree with such a sentiment, especially at the present time when nations and people are at war with each other. Love is a beautiful thing, and we could use more of it. However, the world is in need of…
Down and Connor priest Fr Tim Bartlett has told The Irish Catholic that he stands over remarks he made last week in a sermon about bias in the BBC and that he will send a dossier of complaints to the BBC and renewed his call for an independent review of BBC Northern Ireland for anti-catholic…
Dear Editor, Allianz is an Israeli-owned insurance company which should be boycotted because of the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people. We know about the campaign by some members of the GAA to get that organisation to cut all ties with the Allianz Insurance Company because it is Israeli-owned. It is thought by some in…
Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Ps 122 (121); Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour Matt 24:37 [Jesus said] For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matt 24:38 For as in…
Renata Steffens
Fr Ronald Rolheiser