The Mexican bishops’ conference has expressed concerns over a Supreme Court decision that upheld a health norm allowing access to abortion in public clinics if a woman has been the victim of sexual violence. “We say clearly: Respect for the right to life cannot be infringed upon by the circumstances in which a human being…
Ahead of the annual national grandparents’ pilgrimage to Knock Shrine in Co. Mayo, the search is on for the country’s oldest Catholic grandparents. The Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA) has issued an invitation for the oldest grandparents and longest married couple to attend the 17th annual pilgrimage which is due to he held at the national…
God always stands by the suffering – Pope Francis In hopeless situations of pain and suffering, God never abandons his children but rather remains close to them, Pope Francis said. “God’s answer to our pain is a closeness, a presence that accompanies us, that doesn’t leave us alone. Jesus made himself the same as us…
Youth2000 Over the weekend Youth 2000 hosted its annual Summer Festival in Clongowes Wood College. The four-day festival was a celebration of faith, friendship and fun and was attended by 1000 young people from every county and diocese in Ireland and beyond! The four days included celebrations of Mass, Confession, a Praise and Worship…
Youth Space Emma Tobin describes a memorable Croagh Patrick pilgrimage Viewed from the bottom, with five hours of sleep in one hand and a borrowed stick in the other, Croagh Patrick appears ridiculously unassailable. Mist chokes the summit, and the rock face that points out towards Clew Bay is nothing but craggy, vertical shafts of…
Dear Editor, Last week, thousands of school children across Ireland received Leaving Cert results and for those up North, A-Level results. The years leading up to this moment were filled with stress, tears and feelings of uselessness. There is so much pressure on kids to achieve top grades, so-much-so that many use them as metric…
Supporting family members with disability weekend A charity supporting children and adults with disabilities are gearing up to bring families together in a fun, informative weekend. Leap is offering a family leadership weekend for the whole family to come together in an inclusive environment to begin to develop and share a vision of a good…
Archbishop asks for ‘sensible solutions’ to violence After a standoff between police and a gunman in Philadelphia last week, in which six officers were shot, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia has praised the work of the responding officers and called for solutions to root causes of violence. “The terror that filled yesterday serves as a…
Christians who focus more on being superficially close to the Church rather than care for their fellow brothers and sisters are like tourists who wander around aimlessly, Pope Francis said. People “who are always passing by but never enter the church” in a fully communal way of sharing and caring engage in a sort of…
Mary’s assumption into heaven calls people to put aside all those insignificant, mundane and petty concerns competing for their attention and instead be drawn to God and his greatness, Pope Francis said. After reciting the Angelus prayer on the feast of the Assumption today, Pope Francis also blessed thousands of rosaries that will be given…