The Irish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (EOHSJ) has marked its 40th anniversary with a commemorative Mass celebrated at Holy Cross Abbey. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Dr Stephen Dorgan, Chancellor of the Order in Ireland, described this as “an amazing milestone of service” to Christians in the…
If only the Madlanga Commission had been in Assisi! Once upon a time (800 years ago) there was a well-off teenager called Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone or simply Francis Bernardone who lived in Italy, in a small town called Assisi on top of a mountain. After fighting (hoping to be a celebrity war veteran)…
Lord, in this holy Myst’ry we give our love to you. / Offering our lives completely, humbly in gratitude.” – Byzantine Catholic communion hymn. For the second year in a row, I am spending a little time every day reading from The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers. When, after years of searching for a…
Q: One thing about which I’ve always been curious, especially this time of the year, is why in the various Gospel accounts of Jesus before Pilate, Jesus never directly answered, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Instead of simply saying “Yes,” full stop, Jesus gave what many consider to be sidestep answers like “If…
Frances Geary grew up in a house full of noise and people, seven girls and six boys gathering in the kitchen each evening for the family Rosary, full of laughter and what she called its many trimmings. The Sisters who taught her brought a different kind of life into view, and when missionary priests visited…
John 10:1 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. John 10:2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. John 10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the…
At 18 years of age, the twin girls may have been seasoned revellers or maybe they felt a bit nervous. Younger Gen Z are wary. They don’t drink much and they feel the edge in town. They know all about the feral youth who roam in gangs and can take a man down like a…
New book of research tells the stories of religious sisters during the Troubles For generations, nuns were the backbone of Irish life, their contributions characterised by practical, sustained and deeply valued service. While academics including Prof. Deirdre Raftery have noted the largely undocumented legacy of Catholic sisters in education, healthcare and missionary work, religious life…
As the ground hardens, the rain softens, and the flags and bunting begin to adorn lampposts, shop fronts and car windows across the country, it can only mean one thing. Summer is here, and so too is the championship. Gaelic football has already lurched into motion, and with the hurling championship close behind, the long…
I recently completed a piece of research involving students across ten post-primary schools in Ireland, which demonstrated that there are inextricable links between religion and the psychological wellbeing of young people in this country. This research emerged through my work in schools as a psychologist, where conversations with young people about the factors influencing their…