Embracing the grace of the Pope’s visit

The Pope in Ireland   The long-anticipated moment has arrived. Ever since Pope Francis chose Ireland three years ago to play host to the international World Meeting of Families gathering, he was determined to set foot on Irish soil. “I will come – if I don’t come, my successor will come,” he said. Pope Francis…

Taking Stock

The Pope in Ireland After five years has Francis lived up to Irish expectations?   Fr Alan Hillard “No papacy is perfect”, says Fr Alan Hilliard, a Dublin-based priest and strong advocate of migrant’s rights, but in the five years that Francis has been Pope, he has exceeded expectations. Referencing the author Austen Ivereigh, Fr…

Pope Francis on God’s deep love for all creation

An Astonishing Secret: The Love Story of Creation and the Wonder of You by Daniel O’Leary (Columba Press, €14.99) Anthony 
Redmond   Fr Daniel O’Leary is a well-known Irish priest, author and speaker living in England. I have read a number of his books. He is a superb writer, deeply moving, inspirational and lyrical. In his latest…

Support and encourage families, says bishop

We all have a “civic responsibility and mission” to support and encourage the family, especially during challenging situations, Down and Connor’s bishop has said. Visiting the ‘Families Matter’ programme at Maghaberry Prison which is run by the prison and Barnardo’s NI to support fathers who are in custody on August 19, Bishop Noel Treanor said:…

In brief

Traditional
 Catholics
 welcomed 
for 
Knock 
pilgrimage The National Traditional Pilgrimage, set up under the auspices of the Archbishop of Tuam in 2002, will kick off on September 1 this year. In establishing this, Archbishop Neary expressed the wish that all traditional Catholics in good standing with an attachment to the older liturgical norms, now termed ‘The Extraordinary Form’ would be…

This is no time to leave our Mother

Dear Editor, I’m sure most people by now have heard about the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report which details the widespread sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The content of the document is horrific and shows just how deep the Church is entrenched in this crisis. This wasn’t the action of fringe or isolated clerics, but…

Programme of the Pastoral Congress in the RDS

WMOF 2018: Programme   The congress of the World Meeting of Families is fast approaching, and as it kicks off in less than one week in the RDS, it is time to start planning. With some events taking place at the same time and in different locations, becoming familiar with the map of the RDS…