Parishes deprived of a resident priest in Ireland survive only with great difficulty. The problem is that Irish parishes are centred on the priest to an unhealthy degree, and to such an extent that when the resident priest is removed, the parish flounders. I have witnessed this myself. Having been ten years in Newcestown &…
Moscow not only continues to systematically kill Ukrainian civilians and wipe out entire families in their homes with missile strikes; it is also deliberately targeting historical and architectural heritage. During the latest massive attack on Kyiv, the aggressor damaged a number of sites such as the Church of the Nativity of Christ, the Postal Station,…
The New York state Legislature passed a bill that replaces the words “mother” and “father” in some state laws with gender-neutral language, a move that New York’s bishops say will further “muddy what is true and good.” The bill, passed by the state Assembly in March and by the state Senate on June 2, now…
Colombia’s highly polarised presidential election has become a source of concern for the nation’s Catholic Church, which has released a number of statements during the process in an effort to steer Catholics away from the paths of violence and irrationality. The upcoming runoff, scheduled for June 21, will pit right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella…
The Bishops’ Conferences of Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales published a joint statement for the 2026 ‘Day for Life’, which will take place on June 21. The statement is titled, The Wonder of the Child in the Womb – Reflecting on the humanity of the unborn. The message to the bishops was delivered by…
Should the synod be looking outwards as well as inwards? Dear Editor, Like the editor of The Irish Catholic, I feel concerned about the list of topics chosen for discussion at the forthcoming synodal gathering. But my concern is that practically all of the topics proposed, and also the list of topics which the editor…
We need to invite and challenge each other to what’s best and higher inside us, writes Fr Ron Rolheiser I grew up in a rural area where most everyone was either a first or second-generation immigrant. And most of us were just above the poverty line, struggling economically and struggling to speak English properly. And…
Near the end of his Letter to the Philippians, St Paul encourages his readers to think about “whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, anything that is excellent or praiseworthy.” Paul goes on to assure people that a result of thinking this way is…
This week, our focus is not on one particular saint but on several – seventeen in fact – Irish men and women, lay and clerical, who were put to death for their Catholic faith between 1579 and 1654. They were beatified by Pope St John Paul II in 1992 and their feast day is celebrated…
There is a comforting illusion that faithfulness to God should make our life easier. Many people imagine that if one sincerely follows the Lord, prays regularly, and seeks to live according to the Gospel, then difficulties should diminish and peace should naturally follow. Yet the Bible repeatedly challenge this assumption. The readings for this Sunday…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Fr Dominik Domagala