Alert, Aware, Attentive. Advent Reflections by John Cullen (Messenger Publications, €4.95/£4.50) From a background of service in Ireland and Kenya, John Cullen brings us some ideas about Advent. As the editor of Intercom he is a practised hand at communication. His little book will be an aid to many as Advent comes down on us to…
Hilarious histories and funny folklore Avast there landlubbers, it’s time for some pirate history. Join Hilarious Histories and Funny Folklore at their ‘Hilarious Histories Family Show’ in Ballyroan Library in Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin on Friday September 18 from 5.30-6.15pm for “a fun, socially distanced show, suitable for the whole family”. Organisers say: “Captain Ho Ho…
Dear Editor, I was delighted to read in your issue of September 3 of the episcopal ordination of Fr Paul Dempsey. Although not from Newbridge, I attended a christening in his parish church a short while back and was inspired by the way in which Fr Dempsey delivered his homily on the importance of faith…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. “Why be envious because I am generous?” The story of the workers in the vineyard is not about paying a fair wage (Matt 20:1-16). The parable is about envy. Every worker got the agreed payment. The horrible aspect of envy is that it is a negative reaction…
Tabernacle found after theft from Ontario cathedral The tabernacle that was stolen from the St Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral in St Catharines, Ontario was recovered on Wednesday, September 9. A group of parishioners from the cathedral discovered the tabernacle in Centennial Park, which is located near the cathedral. The tabernacle was partially submerged in a…
Ireland’s new European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has been a prominent supporter of Church-state dialogue in the EU and an outspoken defender of the rights of Christians in parts of the world where they face persecution. Ms McGuinness – who has often spoken about her Catholic Faith – maintained a long silence on the issue of…
Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, a Belarusian citizen appointed to Minsk in 2007 after serving as a bishop in Russia, was barred from returning to Belarus after his pastoral letter was read at churches. The letter warned of civil war, as security forces confronted demonstrators protesting the election of President Alexander Lukashenko. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz said he had…
Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy has urged Catholics to take encouragement from the spirit of volunteerism that has been on display in parishes and communities throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking as he announced the annual clerical changes for the diocese, Bishop Leahy said that the combined issues of the vocations crisis and ageing priests is…
Pope Francis will visit the Italian town of Assisi on October 3 to sign a new encyclical. In a statement released on Saturday, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said the encyclical is entitled Fratelli tutti or ‘All brothers and sisters’ on fraternity and social friendship. The title, whose official English-…
Historian Fr Thomas McCoog SJ surveys the landscape in which Catholics became the prime suspects for the Great Fire of London. What could they have discussed? Unfortunately, our knowledge of the conversation between the English Jesuit Edward Courtney (vereLeedes) and King Charles II consists solely of a few comments in a letter. Courtney, the English…