In Short

We all share blame for road accidents – bishop All road users must accept their “collective responsibility” for road traffic accidents, Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan has said. His comments come in the wake of a spate of deaths and injuries resulting from collisions and accidents on Irish roads. After our immediate reaction to the…

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Christian Brothers settle over 90 abuse compensation claims

Chai Brady and Ruadhán Jones The Christian Brothers have settled over 90 claims for compensation from victims and survivors of abuse, the head of the order has said. Bro. David Gibson wouldn’t disclose the amount the congregation has paid out, and also defended the congregation’s controversial approach to responding to claims of abuse in a…

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WRC intervenes in Catholic college complaints case

An independent investigator is to be appointed to investigate a complaints case in Mary Immaculate College (MIC), following the intervention of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), The Irish Catholic understands. The WRC led a conciliation process between the parties, who agreed on the appointment of an independent investigator, a source told this paper. It is…

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Knock officially welcomes Capuchins to Shrine

The Capuchin Friars were officially welcomed to Knock Shrine on Sunday by the Shrine Rector, Fr Richard Gibbons, with Capuchin Provincial Bro. Sean Kelly describing their new presence there as “a new chapter of our mission”. Pilgrims from all over Ireland travelled to Knock for the annual Padre Pio Retreat and Pilgrimage, with many queuing…

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How to heal after your parish merges or closes

It can help to have a plan of action for parish closure in these trying times, writes Susan Erschen Fewer priestly vocations. Shrinking Catholic populations. An influx of immigrants bringing with them different religious traditions. Aging Church structures that need cost-prohibitive repairs. These are just a few of the reasons parishes throughout the western world…

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Pro Life Campaign seeks future pro-life leaders

The Future Leaders’ Programme, an initiative of the Pro Life Campaign, is due to begin on Thursday, October 5. The course is aimed at equipping the next generation of pro-life advocates (aged 18-30) with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to effectively articulate the pro-life message. “This great opportunity for young people consists of a…

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The best worship isn’t really what you think

David Mills You want to start a vigorous discussion among Catholics, make a definitive statement about what ‘good worship’ is. Be as specific as possible. Every level of detail will double the emotional investment other Catholics will be feeling. Arguments Which is to say: Don’t do that. It won’t get you anywhere, it won’t change…

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Empty words: AI homilies might sound good, but…

Jaymie Stuart Wolfe With all the talk about ChatGPT, and Pope Francis’ ongoing criticism of bad preaching, a dark question crossed my mind: What if the homilies we heard at Mass were composed by artificial intelligence? Would they be better than what the average Catholic hears in the average parish every Sunday, or somehow, even…

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