Major reorganisation will see 56 parishes move into 11 pastoral areas Parish identity must not be lost as dioceses reorganise into larger pastoral areas, the diocesan director of parish development in Kildare and Leighlin has said in reassurance to worried parishioners. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Deacon Roche, diocesan director of parish development in Kildare…
A question asking, “is your current gender different from that assigned to you at birth?” on forms for blood donors could risk turning potential donors away because they fundamentally disagree with the question, said Michael Aherne on the Grásta Podcast with Bishop Phonsie Cullinan. In a July 25 episode of the podcast, presented by the…
In Archbishop Eamon Martin’s homily at Mass for the 2026 Grandparents’ pilgrimage to Knock, he addressed the ‘Granennials’ which is “a made-up word to describe the modern, 21st century, grandparent who is all up to date with the new technologies, dance moves and trendy phrases.” “Clearly grand-parenting today is very different to when I was growing…
When the final whistle blew for the All-Ireland final on Sunday, Canon Stephen Farragher “couldn’t stop crying” for over an hour after the game finished. At Monday morning Mass this week Fr Farragher said that “today is different”. Normally for the Parish of St Patrick’s in Ballyhaunis it’s a Novena Mass to Our Lady for…
Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín has expressed serious concern following confirmation that Tusla is unable to provide comprehensive historical data on children who have gone missing from State care. The Deputy requested information from Tusla on the number of children who have gone missing from care over the past ten years, how long they remained missing,…
Mayo’s historic All-Ireland triumph showed how people still instinctively turn to God when something deeply important is at stake, according to the rector of Knock Shrine. Fr Richard Gibbons was responding to GAA president Jarlath Burns’s declaration during the trophy presentation: “For 75 years you have prayed to Our Lady of Knock, and today Our…
Motorists should treat road safety as a Christian responsibility and “heed the blessings” offered before a journey, Archbishop Francis Duffy has said. Speaking at the Vigil Mass for Reek Sunday in St Mary’s Church, Westport, the Archbishop of Tuam said familiar phrases such as “safe journey” and “be careful on the road” carry both hope…
An Irish priest ministering at St Stephen’s Church in Boston has called on Irish to remember their history of emigration as hostility towards immigrants becomes more prevalent around the US and Ireland. Fr David Costello of Co. Limerick said he has observed anti-immigration hate in Boston amid Trump’s US immigration crackdown, and has observed from…
A further 22 coffined infants have been recovered during excavation works at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam said the remains were recovered during the latest phase of forensic excavation, covering June 1 to July 15. The update also…
St Mary’s Parish, Belfast transformed the long vacant Berry Street building into a brand new church run coffee shop. Named the ‘Foggy Brew’ the shop will fund outreach initiatives locally and abroad through a church support partnership in Gaza and the West Bank. Among the arsenal of products being sold, one is Palestine Cola, which…