Oireachtas told nursing homes felt ‘isolated’ by State

Nursing homes were left isolated as the Government rushed to prioritise hospitals as the coronavirus struck, it has been claimed. The chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland has told the Oireachtas Committee on Covid-19 that key State organisations left nursing homes and their residents isolated in the early days of the pandemic. The NHI and the Health…

Gaisce says ‘Maith Thú’ to Ireland’s youth

The President’s Award is to launch its ‘Maith Thú’ campaign to commend young people for their resilience through the Covid-19 pandemic. Maith Thú celebrates the achievements of young people who have completed their Gaisce Award and offers encouragement to those needing extra support to finish their award activities during the crisis. “Unfortunately, this year there…

Instilling peace in students with religion

Personal Profile Ruadhán Jones   Faith has always been an important part of her life, explains Sarah Seoige, a teacher of religion and Irish at Athlone Community School and an active member of political party Aontú. Sarah considers herself very fortunate to have had “two of the most wonderful parents any child could have asked…

Bishops in Ecuador say crisis highlights unsolved problems

Ecuadorian bishops have denounced those who take advantage of the Covid-19 crisis to get rich fraudulently as a “very serious crime”. In a declaration entitled ‘Crisis and hope’, the bishops stress that the “serious health crisis has highlighted the endemic defects of the State that have never been addressed in a clear and decisive way”.…

Vatican Roundup

Pope
 transfers 
Vatican 
Data 
Processing 
Centre Pope Francis has transferred the Vatican’s Data Processing Centre (CED) from the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) to the Secretariat for the Economy (SPE). The Holy Father made the shuffle in the Roman Curia, which was announced by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro…

Importance of prayer to St Michael

Dear Editor, What a blessing we have at a time with churches closed to have Mass celebrated daily on the web cam in many churches throughout the country and on RTÉ Now. We owe a debt of gratitude to all involved in this ministry. I write this email on Wednesday, May 6, following this morning’s…

Belloc’s path to Rome

Over the coming weeks some of our literary collaborators will give suggestions for ‘lock-down reading’, books of all kinds to amuse and raise our spirits. This week: Anthony Redmond on The Path to Rome (1902) by Hilaire Belloc.   It must be 40 years since I first read The Path to Rome and I have…

In Brief

Female appointed as Swiss Catholic bishop’s delegate Swiss Bishop Charles Morerod of Lausanne, Geneva and Friburg has appointed a woman theologian to succeed the present episcopal vicar. Marianne Pohl-Henzen will succeed the present episcopal vicar for the German part of the diocese on August 1 Pohl-Henzen, 60, studied theology and philology, and for the past…