Jem Sullivan Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 1 Cor 1:3-9 Mk 13:33-37 Advent offers us a graced time to recognise that the deepest longings of our heart are for God. The prophet Isaiah shines a bright light on this indwelling desire, etched by God into each human heart. For this reason, Isaiah…
Dear Editor, Effective Catholic education within Ireland is dependent on, amongst other things, the presence of third level theology departments who can provide training for a Catholic laity who are going to be ever more important in the 21st Century Church. In that regard, the ongoing failure to appoint a Head of Theology in Mary…
Catholic couples invited to work in-Tandem Tandem Teams, a programme for recently married or engaged couples devised by Teams of Our Lady, will begin its latest round of meetings on Saturday, December 9 at 3.30pm. The programme is structured around 13 monthly meetings and aims to “offer an occasion to dialogue in-depth with your partner/spouse…
The archbishop of Seoul has said that he wants to invite young North Koreans to the Catholic Church’s next World Youth Day. Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick shared at a peace forum in Seoul this week that he plans to invite a youth delegation from North Korea to the 2027 World Youth Day to take place…
Thomas O’Loughlin This essay is a continuation of the theme of the essay on the breaking bread published here recently. Whilst our common memory of the origin of the Eucharist is that Jesus took “bread and wine” (emphasising distinct materials), by contrast all our early texts notice that he shared “a cup” (the emphasis…
In the latest episode of The Confession Box, Brandon Scott and editor Michael Kelly discuss the news pieces from this week’s issue of The Irish Catholic. Namely, Cardinal Newman being considered for the position of Doctor of the Church, the colourful life of serial entrepreneur of Ben Dunne who passed away recently, the meaning of…
Cuts to the education budget in the North will have a “major impact” on the “Catholic family of schools”, according to submissions to a report released by the Executive. Faith based schools hit back at claims that cuts will result in “minor negative impacts” on Catholic schools, according to the Department of Education’s ‘Equality Impact…
In the battle against clutter both physical and spiritual, the path to holiness lies, writes Emily Stimpson Chapman Religious have it easy – at least in some regards. Consider, for example, their vow of poverty. Religious brothers, sisters and priests pledge a sacred oath that shields them from basements overrun by toys, cupboards overflowing…
Elizabeth Scalia In chapter 31 of her autobiography, the 16th Century Carmelite St Teresa of Avila – one of four female doctors of the Church, including her spiritual daughter, St Thérèse of Lisieux – urges us toward frequent use of one particular, very common and (usually) widely available sacramental. “From long experience I have…
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has estimated it will receive more than quarter of a million requests for help this year, as Christmas approaches. With calls for help already at almost 200,000 to date, the society expects calls at the end of this year to well exceed last year’s record of 230,000 calls.…