Staff reporter Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry diocese has said that he believes all information held by the Church in relation to the Claudy bombing in Derry has been handed to authorities. The late Fr James Chesney was said to have been involved in the attack which killed nine civilians and injured 30 when three…
Skills training and education ‘only way out of misery’ for Pakistan’s poor
To improve the lives of Pakistanis, many of whom are desperately poor, the Archdiocese of Lahore has ramped up its educational and vocational training efforts. “We evaluated and studied that – through education and then skill training and some other professional training – that is the only way out of misery,” said Archbishop Sebastian Shaw…
‘Our angels have wings’ Zelenskyy says on Ukrainian Statehood Day
Ukrainians will fight for their statehood to the last and will not stop until they liberate the last metre of Ukrainian land, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address for Ukrainian Statehood Day July 28. The day marks the 988 Baptism of “Kyivan Rus,” the origin of Christianity in the region, but this is…
In brief
St James honoured with procession in Cuban city A large number of Catholics from the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba participated in a procession July 25 to celebrate the feast of their patron, St James the Apostle. The special event also commemorated the 507th anniversary of the founding of Santiago (St James) de Cuba. Archbishop…
Rock of Cashel added to World Heritage shortlist
Staff Reporter The Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary, where according to legend St Patrick came to convert King Aenghus to Christianity, is one of three sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The neolithic passage tomb landscape of Co. Sligo, the Transatlantic Cable in Valentia, Co. Kerry, and royal sites of Ireland have…
Family News
Cold sores traced back to bronze age The spread of the modern-day cold sore has been traced back to the Bronze Age and linked to the advent of kissing in a new DNA study. Research suggests the HSV-1 strain of the herpes virus arose in the wake of vast migrations of people from Eurasia to…
Spanish bishop warns that the Synod can’t re-invent the Church’s mission
The bishop of Córdoba, Spain, Demetrio Fernández, warned about the challenges facing the Synod on Synodality, an initiative that he acknowledges “has stirred up the waters of the Church” but that cannot “invent” the mission of the Catholic Church. In his weekly pastoral letter, which concludes by quoting the Letter to the Hebrews — ”Jesus…
Philippine diocese appeals for aid after magnitude seven quake
A diocese in the northern Philippines appealed for aid July 27 after a magnitude 7 earthquake that killed at least four and injured dozens. The Archdiocese of Tuguegarao in northeastern Luzon said churches and historical sites sustained cracks and were damaged, but it also needed help to repair hospital infrastructure and equipment. Patients were evacuated…
We would benefit from improving our conversations
Frank Litton The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos by Sohrab Ahmari ( Hodder & Stoughton, €20.95/£17.95) I used to tell my students at the institution where I then taught that the purpose of their education was to equip them to engage in conversations. My role was to introduce…
Building faithful intensity in the face of adversity
Liam Fitzpatrick Personal Profile Doctors are often intense. Getting through medical school is a difficult task, and the work that comes after requires a strong will and incredible passion. Dr Davog McCaffrey is no exception. In what little free time he has, Dr McCaffrey works at Lough Derg, one of the toughest pilgrimage sites in…











