Highlighting the increase in domestic violence calls reported by An Garda Síochána over the last year, the bishop of Kildare and Leighlin has pointed people to Accord’s counselling service. Posting on social media, Bishop Denis Nulty said Accord counsellors are trained to help those suffering from domestic violence. He said there has been a “25%…
The archdioceses of Jakarta and Samarinda have reopened their churches after local authorities began to ease social restrictions imposed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. “Religious activities may resume starting,” said Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan in a live-streamed press conference last week. “All churches can be reopened but only for regular activities…all places of worship must…
Despite the coronavirus pandemic coming at a time “of weakness unparalleled” in the Church’s recent history, the “challenge has been met” according to Archbishop Michael Neary. “Parishes organised Masses on webcam and radio. Many priests and bishops took to ministry via online and digital media with flair and creativity. A tired Church, wearied by relentless change, found new strength…
The death has occurred of prominent educationalist Msgr Jim Cassin. He was a priest of the Diocese of Ossory and served for many years as the Church’s national secretary for education. He died in St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny on Friday and was laid to rest following a private requiem Mass on Tuesday. He was…
Vatican Santa Marta Paediatric Dispensary reopens The Vatican’s Santa Marta Paediatric Dispensary has reopened after being forced to shut down for more than two and a half months due to the Covid-19 crisis. Despite the pandemic still being present at large, the Dispensary in the heart of the Vatican re-started its services for needy children…
Indian priest and director to release new film A priest and film director in India is to release a new film of someone living with HIV and their family. Michael’s Coffee House, by Fr Anil Philip, will soon be released in Indian cinemas. Fr Philip, a member of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate (CMI), based…
Dear Editor, I would like to commend Maria Steen on an excellent article [IC 28/05/2020] on why we should not outsource the moral formation of our children. As a corollary to that article, I thought it might be opportune to succinctly summarise the Church’s beautiful theology of the body. This theology teaches that the sexual…
Getting support for loss and grief An eight-week online support group will begin later this month to assist people dealing with loss. Coping with the loss of someone or something is challenging. Grieving can be associated with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any…
In this series some of our literary collaborators will be giving suggestions for lockdown reading, books of all kinds to amuse and raise our spirits. This week, Felix M. Larkin writes of that ‘study of provincial life’ which deals with normal people and their hidden lives, George Eliot’s Middlemarch (1871-72). At a public lecture in…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. “The bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Sadly, our churches are still closed but the good news is that they will soon be open again.…