Q: I’ve read a lot recently about how the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) is planning to ordain new bishops this summer, with or without the pope’s permission. Why is this such a problem, if the SSPX are all validly ordained anyways? A: The quick, big-picture short answer is that the SSPX’s proposed…
It’s not just about external forms and structures, what’s more important is the spiritual depth that shapes the Church,” hears Pedro Esteva. As Lent begins, many Catholics ask what shape these forty days should take. Giving something up. Adding extra prayer. Fasting more seriously. Yet there is always a temptation to approach the season as…
You are likely reading this column a few days into Lent. In my adult lifetime, I don’t think there’s ever been a time when we the people have been more in need of repenting our collective sins. This is not to suggest that it’s the most morally corrupt era in history. Surely nothing can compete…
When Our Lady appeared at Knock, she brought the men in her life! The three men featured, in order, in the Gospel are St Joseph, Jesus and St John. The inclusion of St Joseph and St John is a reminder of their relationship with Our Lady and their roles in Her life. While he has…
God lives a most mysterious form of life. High above all things, dwelling in unapproachable light, God is the eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The life of the Holy Trinity is resplendent with glory. The three-in-one rejoice in abundant bliss simply over being God. No human being can fathom the life or bliss of…
“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”, says Pope Leo XIV in week 5 of his Dei Verbum catechesis. Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome! In today’s catechesis we will look at the profound and vital link that exists between the Word of God and the Church, a bond expressed by…
The feast day of St Polycarp is celebrated by the Church each year on 23rd February. He was born about 70 AD and died in his eighties as bishop of Smyrna which is modern day Izmir in Turkey. He is an important figure in the early Church as he was a friend of St John…
After Mass on the last Sunday before I left Union Hall for Canada, two ladies approached me. They asked how I could justify six months’ sabbatical in the light of the shortage of priests. I suggested now was the time to get away, before the shortage got even worse! I haven’t changed my mind. In…
St Joseph’s Redemptorists, Dundalk marked their 50th anniversary as a parish community last Sunday with Mass and refreshments afterwards. The main celebrant, Archbishop Eamon Martin, was joined by “six or seven concelebrants,” explained Fr Brendan Callanan CSsR, Rector and Administrator. The Irish dancing school Scoil rince ui corgharle “gave some more joy to the celebration,”…
The Catholic Bishops of Cuba announced on February 12 that they have asked Pope Leo XIV to postpone their upcoming visit to Rome due to the country’s grave situation, which is generating “so much instability and uncertainty.” The bishops had been scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV on February 20 as part of their periodic…
Fr John McCarthy
Renata Steffens