A highly-valued longstanding member of St Vincent de Paul has been remembered as a “compassionate, non-judgemental and caring person” by the charity. John Monaghan joined SVP in 1985 and was an active member of his SVP conference in Leixlip and a member of the National Management Council from 1996-2014. He was the media voice and…
A Maronite archbishop in Syria narrowly escaped death by just a few seconds when a shell crashed through his bed as he was preparing for a nap. In an email to supporters Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus said priests cried when they saw him emerge from the ruins. “Providence watches over his poor servant,” the…
The Living Gospel: Daily Devotions for Lent 2018 by Ann M. Garrido (Ave Maria Press / Alban Books, £2.99) The Feast of the Nativity just over, and the New Year hardly begun, then the mind of the Church turns towards Lent, which begins less than three weeks from now, Easter being this year on…
News In Brief The Knights of St Columbanus have asked that Pope Francis send a letter to all Irish Catholics calling for them to “defend the humanity if the unborn”. A motion to make such a request was put forward at a September meeting of the order, with Grand Knight Richard Greene saying that…
Alfie: The Life and Times of Alfie Byrne by Trevor White (Penguin Ireland, €20.00) Almost alone, Alfie Byrne survives in the larger public memory as the quintessential Lord Mayor of Dublin, almost a ‘Mr Dublin’. The chance play of politics meant that he filled the office for a decade, between the three man commission…
Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, Life President & Founder of Focus Ireland explains that while the homelessness crisis is the worst we have ever seen, the situation would be much worse without the work of Focus Ireland. She also explains how the crisis can be ended by returning to more provision of social housing… When I…
WMOF2018 Brenda Drumm As we continue with our preparations for the World Meeting of Families 2018, parishes will shortly be offering the first of six parish sessions as part of our Amoris: Let’s Talk Family, Let’s be Family programme. The first theme that parishes will be looking at is ‘The Reality of Family Life…
Society needs to plan for the reality of longer life expectancies and an active older population, writes Catherine McCann We age from the day we are born. Yet when the word ‘ageing’ is used, people assume it refers to the older years. What in fact are the older years? Those who are considered old…
Vatican Roundup Pastors who preach one thing and do another are wounded and harm the Church, Pope Francis said. Like the scribes and Pharisees of old, pastors end up leading a double life when they detach themselves from God and his people, the Pope said during morning Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. “Jesus…
Kilkenny church is a major attraction Would-be historians in the family aren’t the only ones likely to be thrilled by a visit to the former St Mary’s Church in Kilkenny. Now the ultra-modern Medieval Mile Museum, the 13th-Century former church is Kilkenney’s newest visitor attraction, packed with medieval artefacts and treasures, and the starting point…