It’s nice to find something to get optimistic about at the start of a new year. And so, I bring you glad tidings. Education Nation (Spotify) is a new podcast from The Irish Catholic stable, exploring various aspects of the Irish education system. And it’s complicated! This was certainly clear in presenter Nicholas Cuddihy’s interview…
John Allen, the editor-in-chief of Crux whose decades-long career in journalism defined him as one of the authoritative voices on the Vatican and the Catholic Church, has died at the age of 61. Allen passed away in Rome Jan. 22, after battling cancer since 2022. He is survived by his wife, Elise Ann Allen, Crux’s…
As Catholic Schools Week is marked this week across the country, The Irish Catholic has learnt that the Irish Bishops’ Conference is establishing a commission to examine how the Catholic Church might assist the process of school divestment in Ireland. The move comes after more than a decade of discussion about the future patronage of…
On January 11, 2026, Mary McAleese published in The Irish Times a strategically timed article (on the Sunday of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord) accusing the Catholic Church of using the sacrament of baptism of little children as “long-standing, systemic and overlooked severe restriction on children’s rights with regard to religion”. It…
While the number of people involved in the life of the Church is not as big as it once was, those who choose to be involved are “deeply committed and passionate about their faith,” said Oranmore parish priest, Fr Diarmuid Hogan. “I think it is the experience of my colleagues, and it is certainly my…
St Mary’s Church, Knockmoyle, in Cappagh Parish, Co. Tyrone, has held its last Sunday Mass, after the parish suspended Sunday morning Mass amid growing pressure on clergy and a shortage of priests. The decision has been met with sadness locally, with parishioners describing it as heartbreaking for those with a deep attachment to the church…
The Catholic Mothers Ireland (CMI) has been officially granted charity status by the Charity Commission NI. “This recognition by the Charity Commission is a testament to the dedication of our volunteers and supporters. We look forward to reaching more women and families, offering practical support, faith formation, and a sense of belonging,” said Sinéad Strong,…
Across Irish dioceses, parish life, and national initiatives, those working closest to youth ministry describe something more complex than a simple narrative of decline. In some places, uneven engagement, yes – but also growth in participation, post-Covid rebuilding, and in some places a surprising hunger for prayer, community, and formation. In the Diocese of Killaloe,…
Broken But Holy: Becoming Human, by John O’Brien OFM (St Pauls Publishing, €10.00; contact stpauls.ie) The writings of John O’Brien, formerly of the Franciscan monastery in Athlone, and now at Multyfarnam, were recognised by the late Pope Francis in a personal letter of appreciation for his earlier book Winter Past: The Spirit of Hope. In…
Lectio Divina continually invites us beyond ourselves, teaching us to recognise others in the text and to allow the Word to speak, says Fr Barry White Christianity is not, as Pope Benedict XVI so often reminded us, an intellectual system, a packet of dogmas, or a moralism. Christianity is an encounter, a love story;…
Brendan O’Regan
Renata Steffens
Peter Costello
Fr Barry White