Laura Madrigal-Estebas About 220 people gathered in a fabulous setting of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin, to attend an inspiring conference called ‘Parishes Caring for Creation’ at the end of November. A collaboration between Trócaire, the Archdiocese of Dublin and the Laudato Si’ Movement, this conference aimed to help parish communities respond to…
Ngala Killian Chimtom While acknowledging that a recent wave of military takeovers across Africa often have drawn strong popular support as an expression of “deep-seated frustration” over corruption and injustice, the continent’s Catholic bishops nevertheless have reaffirmed their support for democracy and opposition to coups. “There might be queries regarding our stance on coups d’etat. Principally,…
The pastoral centre of Christ the King Cathedral in Loikaw, Myanmar, was bombed on November 26 and occupied by the Burmese military the next day, according to reporting by Agenzia Fides, the news arm of Pontifical Mission Societies. Though no one was killed in the bombing, the pastoral centre’s ceiling collapsed and Bishop Celso Ba Shwe…
Dear Editor, Thank you for highlighting calls for Cardinal John Henry Newman to be made a Doctor of the Church [The Irish Catholic – November 23, 2023]. Cardinal Newman’s profound impact on both the Church and society, particularly in Ireland, makes him a deserving candidate for this rare ecclesiastical honour. Cardinal Newman, who was canonised…
The Irish Dominicans will celebrate 800 years in Dublin next year. Just three years after the death of St Dominic, they arrived in 1224 and were given land by the monks of St Mary’s Abbey on which to found their church and priory. That land was at the precise location of the present day Four…
Deacon Greg Kandra Is 40:1-5, 9-11 Ps 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14 2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8 If nothing else, Advent should remind us of this inconvenient truth: We are people in a hurry. The other day, I was leaving Walmart and noticed a tent set up in the parking lot. I looked closer. They had drones…
Chai Brady and Brandon Scott The riots that convulsed Dublin’s inner-city last week are a symptom of a wider “social discontent” particularly over inadequate housing and the inability to access even basic things, priests in the heart of the capital have warned. After the stabbing of three children and a carer on Parnell Square…
Learning how to thank God is not only spiritually fruitful but necessary, writes Bill Dodds Most of us were toddlers when we learned to say “please” and “thank you”. We were a little older when we fell into the habit of asking, begging, nagging, whining, “Please, please, please, please, ple-e-e-e-e-e-ease!” Older still when we began…
Deacon Dominic Cerrato In recent years, the Catholic Church in Germany embarked on an ambitious and controversial project known as the “German Synodal Way”. This initiative, which sought to address various issues within the Church, including governance, the role of women, and the Church’s teaching on sexuality, has stirred significant attention and debate within…
Award-winning actor Antonio Banderas (63), who has enjoyed an illustrious 41-year career, said that playing the evil King Herod in the nativity musical Journey to Bethlehem not only allowed him to explore a notoriously dark biblical figure but reminded him of the heartbeat of Christianity: love. Based on his experience with Journey to Bethlehem, the actor said he’s…