Young US migrants fear deportation and separation

Rhona Guidos Supporters of young people who came to the US without documents as children descended on Washington early this month, risking arrest and seeking attention from lawmakers during what they believe is the last window of opportunity this year to pass legislation to help them stay in the country. Supporters came from California, New…

Why the nostalgia for the old Missal?

Dear Editor, There seems to be a kerfuffle as to whether or not to revise the translation of the Mass in English. When I learnt Latin, I was told that Latin was a dead language because it never changes. Vernacular tongues are living and change, so when we use living languages in liturgy, we accept that they…

Vatican roundup

Polish 
Christmas
 tree 
in
 Vatican A Nativity scene and Christmas tree, like those displayed in St Peter’s Square, are visible reminders of God’s benevolence and closeness to all men and women, Pope Francis said. “Every year, the Christmas Nativity scene and tree speak to us through their symbolic language. They make more visible what is captured in the experience…

Almost 80 inmates baptised in Argentina

Seventy-eight prisoners were baptised, confirmed, and received their First Holy Communion in an Argentine prison. The inmates are entering the Catholic Church after working with the Diocese of San Isidro’s prison ministry, which operates in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The ministry has been active since 2007 in both male-only and mixed gender units…

You could not have come at a better time

Fr Vincent Sherlock Jack was a decent man!  The sort you’d enjoy visiting.  He lived alone – well not totally for he had an amazing connection with horses.  A man once told me that he could leave the wildest of horses in the field beside Jack’s house and within days, the animal would be tamed…

Church ignored as US embassy relocation sparks violence

Following days of violence and backlash after US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Vatican appealed for “wisdom and prudence” to prevail. The announcement sparked anti-US protests throughout Asia and the Middle East, including a four-day protest in the Palestinian territories, Reuters reported. An Israeli security guard in…

Sublime talents of John O’Conor honoured

Pat O’Kelly Since 2012 the National Concert Hall has presented an annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Irish musicians of international renown. Not confined to what can be loosely termed ‘classical artists’, the award spreads its wings across a broader spectrum of musical genres. James Galway, Veronica Dunne, Paul Brady and the Vanbrugh Quartet followed the…

The death of God – Irish style

Anthony Redmond How We Killed God . . .and Other Tales of Modern Ireland by David Quinn (Currach Press, €16.99) Two guests who took part on the Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ radio back in October 2006 were the well-known atheist Richard Dawkins and the journalist David Quinn. Dawkins was there to discuss his book,…

Rohingya refugees heartened 
after Papal visit to Bangladesh

Expectations are high among refugees in makeshift camps in Cox’s Bazar days after Pope Francis met with 16 Rohingya refugees in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. On his way back to the Vatican, the Pontiff admitted he wept during his encounter with the Muslim refugees who have fled from religious persecution in Myanmar›s neighbouring Rakhine State. “I…