Stolen Roman statue found in antique shop A Roman statue, which is dated back to the first century BC, has been recovered almost a decade after it was stolen from an archaeological site in Italy. The BBC reports that two Italian officers came across the sculpture of a headless figure wearing a toga at an…
Dear Editor, I was delighted to see the extensive coverage given by The Irish Catholic last week to the concerns of orthodox young Catholics who are worried that the up-coming national synod will be the occasion for watering down doctrine. I too share their worries, especially looking at what is happening in Germany and their…
Sponsor a gargoyle: Fundraiser launched for Notre Dame A novel fundraising approach to restore one of the most iconic monuments in the world, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, enables donors to have a piece of history. On April 15, Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris unveiled an interactive website – restorenotredame.org – that allows…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. The Fourth Sunday of Easter each year is known as Vocations Sunday. The Gospel is about Jesus – the Good Shepherd – calling his flock, leading them to pasture and protecting them. We are encouraged to pray for vocations this Sunday. I have to admit that in…
Br Martin Kenneally, Presentation Brothers One of the highlights of Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland in August 2018 was his visit to the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin’s inner city. There, on a daily basis, Brother Kevin Crowley, a freeman of the city, and his team of helpers provide parcels of food, cooked meals, a…
Sr Orla Treacy St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits has a phrase from his Spiritual Exercises, its known as “the Magis”, literally meaning More. I am not exactly sure what St Ignatius meant by it but it has helped me in my life, at least it has helped me to put a word on…
Who are the Capuchins? As Franciscans we are part of a larger family of Catholic friars, sisters and dedicated laypeople founded by St.’s Francis and Clare of Assisi in the 1200’s. The Capuchins came about when in the 1500’s a group of those friars decided to seek a more radical following of the Gospel according…
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” (Psalm 27,8). The Benedictine Community of nuns was founded at Ypres in Belgium in the year 1665, and moved to Kylemore, Connemara, Co. Galway, in 1920. At present we are a community of 10 nuns, each called at…
Vocation literally means a calling. Jules Chevalier, a young Frenchman, born in 1824, heard God calling him to live his Christian life in the service of others. In his life and time that led him first to the diocesan seminary, then to a parish in central France and eventually to founding a religious movement that…
In his recent book, “Let us Dream”, Pope Francis encourages us to allow this very challenging time of pandemic to be a period of growth and discernment in our lives, a time for us as followers of Jesus, to look anew at our busy lives and to see if we need to make changes. He…