Faughart Shrine in Dundalk, widely regarded as St Brigid’s birthplace and described as the “second national shrine of St Brigid in Ireland, is the focus of a new fundraising push ahead of St Brigid’s Day. “Faughart Shrine is the birthplace of St Brigid,” organiser Kathleen Maddy told The Irish Catholic. “Kildare was where the abbeys…
Catholic Schools Week 2026 takes place from January 18-24 and it’s theme is ‘Normal Lives, Called to Holiness’. According to the Catholic Education Partnership, (CEP), “Catholic Schools Week 2026 celebrates the extraordinary call to holiness in the midst of ordinary life. Inspired by Pope Francis’s reflection on St Carlo Acutis—the first millennial saint—this year’s theme…
The new CEO of Trócaire Seán Farrell along with Bishop Paul Dempsey of the Dublin Archdiocese and Dr Gary Carville, Social Issues & International Affairs at Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference will visit Israel and Palestine this weekend as the Irish delegation attending the Holy Land Coordination meetings. The 2026 Holy Land Coordination will take place…
Following his first extraordinary consistory, Pope Leo XIV has outlined a programme of engagements aimed at drawing Catholics more deeply into both the intellectual and prayerful life of the Church, renewing attention to the Second Vatican Council while inviting the faithful to pray with him for the world’s pressing needs. Speaking at his general audience…
“The increase over the past year has been particularly steep,” said Ms Sophie Johnston, spokesperson for Cork Simon Community. The latest Department of Housing data shows 736 adults were living in emergency accommodation in Cork in November, up from 589 in 2024 and 545 the year before. Yet, Ms Johnston said, “behind every figure is…
A ‘Welcome Pack’ was distributed to all households attending Christmas celebrations in Oranmore Parish, Co. Galway. The parish’s ‘family welcome project’ had members of staff greeting people arriving at the Christmas celebration and, on their way out, handing them the pack, verbally inviting them to come again. “The pack included a leaflet outlining the services,…
Here are some of the posts I’ve shared, or followed, on the social media platform ‘X’ over the last few days (at the time of writing). A wonderful ballet performance in the streets of Paris, accompanied by a pianist playing Tchaikovsky; a posting about Ireland being No. 1 among the “most educated countries” in the…
Scottish Catholic bishops have criticised legislation establishing so-called “buffer zones” around abortion facilities, warning it represents a serious erosion of civil and religious freedoms. In a recent statement, the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland said the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act 2024 “restricts free speech, free expression, and freedom of religion in ways that should…
Irish Franciscans have welcomed the announcement of the jubilee year of St Francis a chance to renew a Gospel based life and share Francis’ message of peace and mercy. Fr Eugene Barrett OFM, in Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal, said the community was “delighted” and “pleasantly surprised” by the news, coming so soon after the Jubilee of…
There is a great temptation to accept religious decline as inevitable. It does not help that much of the mainstream media seizes on any indication that faith is dying and amplifies it. For example, in 2022, the Central Statistics Office issued a press release stating that “more than 3.5 million people, or 69% of the…
Renata Steffens
Mary Kenny
Breda O'Brien