As I have sometimes mentioned, I grew up in Sandymount, a serene seaside suburb of Dublin 4, where Catholic and Protestant neighbours were generally on good terms, even though they kept separate spheres in education and recreation. Our immediate neighbours were Methodist and Presbyterian, whose services of worship were Bible-based and austere. But we also…
As someone born in the 1960s, I grew up during the Cold War. One of my earliest, clearest current affairs memories was the fall of Saigon to North Vietnam in 1975 and the helicopters taking off from the roof of the American embassy. The whole country then became united under a communist government. In those…
Powerfully elegant, Newry Cathedral presides above a cacophony of city commerce. Nestled between the loveliness of The Mournes, The Ring of Gullion and The Irish Sea, on the main Dublin to Belfast thoroughfare, Newry historically and contemporarily is an important investment centre. It is fitting that this city boasts the first cathedral to be built following Catholic…
Before Easter, Notre Dame, Indiana, posted on Facebook requesting that people not line up before 9 am for the Holy Saturday liturgy, which was set to begin at 9 pm. All attendees needed to be physically present by 6:30 pm. Why would people have to queue for 12 hours for a Holy Saturday liturgy? Room…
Detransitioners are people who once believed in the promise of medical transition and later came to regret those interventions and attempt to reverse course. For most of us, the idea of medical transition is strange, even unsettling. But for someone who is deeply unhappy in their body, or in their life, it can become a…
Recently I’ve travelled the road to Damascus, visiting parishes and speaking with Christians communities as I made my way home through a region at war. The conflict began during a research trip in Iraq and soon disrupted my planned return to studies in Cairo. The airspace closed, and the situation in Baghdad deteriorated rapidly. Though…
With the rise of artificial intelligence, society finds itself in a landscape that is both bursting with possibility and a bit overwhelming at the same time. For those of us tasked with forming the young in the faith – Catholic parents, educators and ministers – the challenge is no longer just about monitoring screen time or even…
The belief that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead is the single most important element of the Christian faith. In 1 Cor 15:14, St Paul argues that the truth of Christianity depends on the truth of the resurrection of Christ. If it never happened, then the Gospel message is empty. The fact that the…
As Pope Leo XIV prepares for his first visit to the Church in Africa, I examine the key issues he is likely to encounter when he meets Catholic leaders in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23. The pontiff has accepted the invitation from the government authorities and Church leaders of…
All across Ulster, there is one game that reigns supreme. As hurling defines Munster and much of south Leinster, Gaelic football is the lifeblood of the northern province. In towns and villages from Fermanagh to Antrim, it is more than a sport; it is a ritual. In every parish across the province, the local GAA…
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
Breda O'Brien