A second diocese in Sicily, where the Mafia has had a significant presence for decades, announced a temporary ban on the naming of godparents for baptisms and confirmations. In a decree that went into effect January 1, Bishop Domenico Mogavero of Mazara del Vallo said the ban would be in effect ad experimentum (on an…
Staff reporter St Mary’s High School Downpatrick’s Choir are raising funds for Catholic charity Cuan Mhuire “during this time of desperate need”. The school choir would typically visit Cuan Mhuire’s Newry residents at Christmas, but this couldn’t go ahead in 2021 due to Covid-19. Instead, the choir released a recording of the carol See Amid…
by Marta Osborne Love Notes The Christmas season can be a very reflective and prayerful time when after all the preparations we finally stop and consider the great mystery, the Word became flesh, God became man. As our hearts are rejoicing at the birth of our saviour this might just be the perfect time to…
Although the long-established impact of Covid-19 on faith and worship has been extensively documented, positive news has emerged as Radio Maria announced that it has seen texts, calls and general engagement triple when compared to figures compiled before the pandemic, with the station being used as a faith-based resource by those who were deprived of…
For Christians in Chin and Kayah states, there were no Christmas and New Year celebrations due to fighting. They have borne the brunt of a decades-old civil war and faced oppression and persecution at the hands of the military, reported ucanews.com. On December 29, Catholics in Kayah’s Hpruso Township held a funeral for 35 civilians…
Dear Editor, As the pandemic rolls on and on and as numbers suffering from Covid grow more and more in spite of vaccinations and many restrictions, I feel called to share some thoughts and reflections. There is clear evidence that the current state of the world is much cause for anxiety and concern among many…
Radical change is coming in the Church – Archbishop Dermot Farrell Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell recently spoke of how “radical change” is coming in the Church, a change which he believes will bring forth a renewal of energy and new forms of ministry. “With a powerful commitment from clergy and lay faithful, across the…
Abandoning sacredness of the family promotes irresponsibility – Bishop McKeown When a society abandons the sacredness of the family, it promotes a “lack of responsibility and maturity”, Bishop Dónal McKeown said on the feast of the Holy Family. The bishop of Derry warned that “in a secular world, preparation for Church marriages needs to be…
QR code added to sculpture to educate people about migration A life-sized bronze sculpture of migrants and refugees crowded onto a boat has stood in St’ Peter’s Square for more than two years, but just before Christmas a small QR code was placed on the boat’s stern to give onlookers information about the work. The…
Egyptian pharaoh’s mummy digitally unwrapped for first time The mummified body of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh has been studied for the first time in millennia after being digitally “unwrapped”. The mummy of Amenhotep I, who ruled from 1525 to 1504 BC, was found at a site in Deir el-Bahari 140 years ago. However, archaeologists have…