The founder of social media giant Facebook has asserted the importance of faith in a Christmas message to followers. The previously avowed atheist took to social media over the festive period to wish one and all a “Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah”, prompting one viewer to pose the question: “Aren’t you an atheist?” Zuckerberg was…
The footballer responsible for a spectacular ‘scorpion kick’ goal during a New Year’s game in the English premier league has said God helped him to carry off the near-impossible shot to bring his team to victory. Playing with Arsenal in the January 1 face-off against south London’s Crystal Palace, French international Olivier Giroud made the…
Fr Bryan Shortall Christian faith can rest with the youngest and oldest among us, Fr Bryan Shortall explains. Talk about ‘out of the mouths of babes’. I was over with some parishioners who had been recently bereaved and we were to plan the funeral liturgy. Naturally there was sadness in the household as they were…
Michelle Burke Michelle Burke reflects on the annual Youth 2000 Christmas Retreat Amid the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, over 800 young people gather to prepare themselves spiritually for Christ’s coming. The annual retreat,organised by Youth 2000 in Newbridge Co. Kildare, draws hundreds of young people between 16 to 35 from all over Ireland…
Father Mychal Judge, An Authentic American Hero by Michael Ford (Paulist Press, £15.99) Anthony Redmond Fr Judge, an Irish American Franciscan, died in the attack on the World Trade Centre as he gave the Last Rites to a dying fireman. During the last weeks of his life, Fr Mychal Judge had been reading the biography…
Dear Editor, Over the past couple of weeks, I have read numerous articles in relation to the recent controversy surrounding Maynooth seminary. These have included speculation regarding the priesthood and what form it should take in this time. There are some who believe that our more recently ordained priests are of a more traditional mindset…
Dear Editor, Interesting that there exists in many countries branches of an organisation known as: The Flat Earth Society. They believe that it is possible to fall off the edge of the world and vanish into emptiness. They base their belief it seems, at least in part, on the Gospel instruction where the Lord commanded…
Dear Editor, Peter Costello has written a fascinating article (Preserving the Catholic Library for another Century IC, 25/8/16) about the Central Catholic library. I have a long association with the library (indeed, I was one of the many UCD students who availed of the library’s treasures in the 1960s and 1970s). Although I am not now…
Dear Editor, Well done to Mary Kenny for dissecting the claim that a trip to an abortion clinic is ‘so very ordinary’ with details of some of the horrors of the abortion industry. She gives Minister for Health, Simon Harris a mention too. I wrote to the Irish Times questioning Minister Simon Harris’ congratulations to…
Dear Editor, The photo of the four young women accompanying Greg Daly’s article (‘Keeping your range of university options open’, IC 18/08/2016) is a probably unintentional but appropriate illustration of a modern phenomenon in higher education – the vanishing male university student. Yours etc., Hugh Gibney, Athboy, Co Meath.