An Albanian nun who inspired Pope Francis with her courageous faith under communist persecution has died at the age of 92. Sister Marije Kaleta risked her life to bring Holy Communion to the sick and dying under the regime of dictator Enver Hoxha, whose communist government destroyed churches and martyred Catholics in its effort to create an…
Staff reporter A new website, synod.ie has been launched to support engagement with the national synodal pathway for the Church in Ireland. The website provides information about the synodal pathway and the timeline for the work, as well as making available a variety of resources to support engagement. Welcoming the publication of the website and resources Primate of…
Desmond Egan Apathy Is out: Selected Poems of Seán Ó Ríordáin with translations by Greg Delanty (Bloodaxe/ClóIar-Chonnacht, £12.99/€15.00) Seán Ó Ríordáin (1916-1977) was arguably the finest Irish-language poet of modern times. Soon after starting to work as a clerk in Cork city, he was diagnosed with TB (which had killed his father). It dogged him…
After gangs of gunmen killed at least 200 people in Nigeria’s Zamfara State last week, Cardinal John Onaiyekan said that things must change. The Nigerian cardinal explained that over the past five years armed bandits have terrorised north-western Nigeria, causing a great deal of damage. “They attack farmers’ fields, kill farmers and no one says…
The Filipino Catholic community gathered in St Joseph’s Church on Berkeley Road in Dublin for the feast of Santo Niño on Sunday. The feast is extremely popular in the Philippines and draws crowds of millions every year. The Santo Niño de Cebu is an icon of the Child Jesus. It was given by Portuguese explorer…
The Vatican has updated its rules to stem the spread of Covid-19 and will require all its employees to be vaccinated against the virus or prove they have recently recovered from the disease. Also, starting January 10, nonessential work-related travel is temporarily suspended, masking outdoors is required, high-filtering FFP2 masks must be worn indoors and…
Fr Frainc Mac Brádaigh SJ To say that Michael lived a very full life would be both an understatement and to miss the point. Well educated with five masters, one each in English, Reconciliation studies, and drugs and addictions and two in theology would only highlight his desire to understand but miss the point of…
Adminstrator appointed for Ardagh and Clonmacnoise A new diocesan administrator, Fr Tom Healy, has been appointed for the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois following Archbishop Francis Duffy’s installation as the new Archbishop of Tuam. Fr Healy PP of Edgeworthstown in Co. Longford will administer the day-to-day affairs of Ardagh and Clonmacnois until a new bishop…
No amount of talking and listening to each other will help the Church if those talking are uninformed or misinformed about matters of faith and morals, writes Dr John Murray No doubt the Church needs to improve its internal and external communication. And the synodal process, at diocesan, national, and global level might help to…
Frank Litton The Tyranny of Merit. What’s become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel (Penguin Random House, €25.00/£20.00) Oh let us love our occupations, bless the squire and his relations, live upon our daily rations, and always know our proper stations, so the servants were taught to sing. Democracy put paid to that. Aristocratic…