Thomas O’Loughlin Gerald O’Donovan: A Life. 1871-1942, by John F. Ryan (Liverpool University Press, £95.00) This book is, to my knowledge, the first full length biography of that most complex character of the late-19th and early 20th Century, Gerald O’Donovan, who is now best remembered for his first novel: Father Ralph, published in April 1913,…
Six nuns from the Congregation of the Sisters of St Anne were kidnapped January 19 while traveling on a bus in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, according to the Haitian Conference of Religious. Other passengers on the bus also were taken in the abduction, the conference said in a statement. “These many kidnappings fill the consecrated…
In a new attack against the Catholic Church and other Christians in Nicaragua, the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, has cancelled the legal personhood of several religious congregations and evangelical groups. On January 16, the Ministry of the Interior published in the official government newspaper La Gaceta the…
Doubts from members of the Oireachtas means Abortion Review recommendations face obstacles, writes Eilis Mulroy It’s hugely significant that members of the Oireachtas Health Committee have expressed doubts about the content of the Three Year Review Report on Ireland’s abortion law. After the Review report last year recommended wide-ranging changes to the abortion legislation, the…
Bishop Alan McGuckian of Raphoe wrote to Justice Minister Helen McEntee criticising policy that sees some immigrants unable to bring family members to Ireland as they earn less than €30,000. People outside the European Economic Area do not have the same entitlements regarding bringing family to Ireland, with one of the conditions being the salary…
Luca Attanasio This is the theme of the residential meeting which took place in November 22 to 24 at the “Fraterna Domus” Spirituality House in Sacrofano (Rome), organised by the executive councils of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the Union of Superiors General (USG). The event, which saw the participation of over…
This week has seen the celebration of Catholic Schools Week in Ireland, which is running from Sunday, January 21st to Saturday, January 27th. Coming around with the unassuming regularity that they do, we often allow all but the biggest annual celebrations to slip us by, but when it comes to celebrating the contribution made by Catholic…
Mary E. Fitzgibbon Last week there was considerable dismay over the proposal to change the name Páirc Uí Chaoimh to Supervalu Park. The Tánaiste rowed into the controversy posting on X: “deeply disappointed and annoyed at the proposal to change the name of Páirc Uí Chaoimh given that Pádraig Uí Chaoimh was a key figure…
Jem Sullivan Dt 18:15-20 Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 1 Cor 7:32-35 Mk 1:21-28 In this 21st Century, we absorb the news of the world quickly, through myriad technical gadgets. We’re seeking information, knowledge and understanding of the world all day long. As we travel the information superhighway, though, we must learn to discern the authenticity…
Penelope Middelboe You have to keep inside the dolphins in the Venetian lagoon. These tall groupings of two or three wooden pillars, set a short distance apart, mark the outer edge of deeper water. The locals call them bricola. There are apparently 90,000 of them creating sea-lanes like railway tracks to steer clear of…