Pope Leo XIV To make oneself understood to others is the first act of love, says Pope Leo XIV in week four of his Dei Verbum catechesis. Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome! The Conciliar Constitution Dei Verbum, on which we are reflecting during these weeks, indicates in the Sacred Scripture, read in…
Fr Brian Lennon SJ A friend of mine – let’s call her `Lorraine’ – worked as a hospital chaplain. In the course of this she came close to a woman with terminal cancer. But whenever her friend wanted the sacrament of the sick Lorraine could not give it to her because she was not ordained.…
A human life is beautiful and complex. It is often like a jigsaw puzzle, where each new insight acts as a fresh piece, reshaping how the whole is seen. Yet there is a tendency to reduce people to one thing or another, to place them neatly in a box. What is often forgotten is that…
Raised aloft, in Greater Belfast, a sixty-six-foot-tall cross illuminates the night sky. This impressive landmark embodies a story of hope—a story of people who, like the church itself, have risen through adversity. St Bernard’s Catholic Church, whose tower the cross crowns, rose in 2003 from the ashes of an arson attack that utterly destroyed the…
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil The Gospel Matt. 5:17 [Jesus said:] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. Matt. 5:18 For…
A former Glenstal monk who was headhunted for a top role with the Irish bishops is seeking damages for an alleged unfair dismissal, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) was told last Thursday. The bishops deny the allegation. The role of National Director for Catechetics and Executive Secretary to the Council for Catechetics at the Irish…
As Valentine’s Day arrives and couples once again flock to Whitefriar Street Church to venerate the relics of St Valentine, the Carmelite prior Fr James Eivers says Ireland’s young Catholics are showing that love and faith must be rooted in depth. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Eivers praised the growing number of young people…
Breda O’Brien has warned that Catholic schools face a growing formation gap, linking the weakening of school ethos to declining literacy, confidence, and engagement with Scripture. Speaking on the Education Nation podcast, the teacher and Irish Times columnist argued that the challenges facing Catholic education do not stem from a lack of goodwill among teachers,…
“During the storms over the last couple of weeks, some of our volunteers were out doing hospitality visits rather than emergency visits. Meeting people in their local community and making sure the elderly were okay and had what they needed,” said Commander John Wright KMOb, national director of the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps. He…
In an era of constant distraction, one of the greatest challenges facing married couples is learning how to be truly present to one another. Mike and Rose Curtin of Catholic Marriage Encounter say modern technology has quietly reshaped how couples relate. “You can’t be present to another person when you’re present to other people on…
Renata Steffens