The Catholic culture of our childhood memories is unlikely to return, whether we would wish it to or not writes Fr Eamonn Conway When I was growing up in Tuam, Co. Galway in the 1960s, the town was a ‘mini-Vatican’. The diocesan boarding school, St Jarlath’s College, had over a dozen priests on staff. Both…
Social workers regularly witness the ‘heart-breaking reality’ that parents are forced to look for ways to care for children with complex needs outside of the home, according to a representative group. The Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) welcomed a report last week from the Ombudsman for Children entitled ‘Nowhere to Turn: Children with disabilities…
David Mills A friend of Dorothy Day’s told her that her children had called Peter Maurin “ragged and unkempt”. They were sure “that he never bathed, and he seemed to sleep in his clothes”. When Day asked him why he didn’t try to look better, he told her, “So as not to excite envy”. Maurin,…
Silvio Cuellar In today’s world, we are surrounded by constant noise and distractions. At home, we are always connected to media such as smartphones, computers, television and tablets. In the car, we are also saturated by noise and radio programs with commentary often inappropriate for our children’s ears. How do we bring some peace into…
Jenna Marie Cooper Q: Regarding the people Jesus raised from the dead, where were their souls while they were dead? A: Among the many miracles Jesus performed as part of his public ministry, some of the most remarkable include his raising several recently-deceased people from the dead. In the Gospels we read of the raising…
Paulina Guzik In one of the most significant moments in Polish post-war history, the Ulma family was beatified in Markowa, September 10. “I think it will only get me at night, when I come back home, because now I still can’t believe it,” Jerzy Ulma, nephew of Blessed Józef Ulma, told OSV News. His uncle Józef,…
Gabriel Fitzmaurice Choice/Rogha: A selection of poems by Desmond Egan, translated into Irish by Michael Hartnett (Goldsmith Press, €20.00/ £17.50) Desmond Egan is one of our greatest poets, certainly our greatest Catholic poet which, among other things, means that he contains multitudes. Michael Hartnett, a poet of equal stature, is a gifted translator from the…
Climate change ‘challenges’ all Ireland Climate change, biodiversity and poverty challenge every part of Ireland, Bishop Ray Browne has said, as the Church celebrates the Season of Creation until October 4. The season celebrates the joy of creation and “encourages awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment”, the bishop of Kerry said in a statement.…
For at least the last 1,200 years the tradition of the Church has been that Saturdays are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Have you ever wondered why? What is it about Saturday that makes it so appropriate to remember Mary? The Vatican’s Directory on Popular Piety says that this tradition is a remembrance of the…
Dear Editor, I write to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Cardinal Timothy Dolan for his inspiring message delivered during the recent Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh [The Irish Catholic – August 31, 2023]. His words should resonate deeply with Catholics not only in Ireland but across the globe. Cardinal Dolan’s call for Irish…