Relational Youth Ministry

In Episode 7 of The Irish Catholic Podcast, John Quinn meets Jonny Somerville of Scripture Union Ireland, host of the NUA Film Series. The guys discuss how NUA is like a series of Christian FAQs, the centrality of relationship to youth ministry, and promoting in young people “a heart-response to Jesus”. For more on NUA,…

Death of Primate’s mother

The death has occurred of Mrs Catherine Martin, mother of the Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin. She was in her 90s when she died in Derry on Wednesday. Mrs Martin’s remains are reposing at 28 Balmoral Avenue, Derry and her funeral Mass will take place on Friday March 23, at 10am in St Patrick’s…

Padre Pio: a man of prayer and suffering

“It seems to be a fact,” wrote Flannery O’Connor in July 1955, “that you have to suffer as much from the Church as for it but if you believe in the divinity of Christ, you have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it.” The American author’s words could…

Padre Pio: the Irish connections

Irish links to the famous Capuchin date back to the 1920s, writes Colm Keane   To the Irish setting out for San Giovanni Rotondo in the 1950s, it must have felt like the ultimate pilgrimage. They first travelled long journeys by air in old prop planes. They then wound their way by slow trains and…

Bishop urges abuse survivors to step forward

The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin has encouraged abuse survivors to come forward after confirming the late Fr Malachy Finegan ministered in the diocese for three years. Bishop Denis Nulty said in his St Patrick’s Day homily that his concern “is that someone may be suffering in silence” after acknowledging the notorious child abuser Fr…

Guam archbishop guilty of 
sex abuse of minors

A Vatican tribunal has found Archbishop Anthony Apuron of Agana, Guam, guilty of some of the accusations made against him including the sexual abuse of minors. After a canonical trial conducted by the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Vatican judges imposed the following sanctions on the 72-year-old archbishop: the…

Disgraced Scottish cardinal dies

An Irish-born cardinal, who resigned five years ago as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh after admitting to sexual misconduct, died on March 19 at the age of 80. Born at Ballycastle in Co. Antrim, Cardinal Keith O’Brien stepped down as archbishop in February 2013, following allegations from three priests and one former priest that…

Unforgettable liturgy

It was with good reason 
that Padre Pio’s Mass drew huge crowds, according to 
Fr Francesco Napolitano   Padre Pio’s life on earth was in perpetual union with God; all of his letters give valid evidence of this. In a letter written to his spiritual director, Fr Benedetto of San Marco in Lamis, on September…