Archbishop speaks out on ecological crisis
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Experience the magic of Christmas – and more – at Knock House Hotel
Christmas is a season of warmth, wonder, and reflection – and at Knock House Hotel, nestled in the serene village of Knock, Co. Mayo, the festive season is celebrated with true heart and hospitality. Whether you’re travelling solo, with a partner, or among friends, Knock House offers the perfect setting for a memorable and meaningful…
Remembering how we stood… A poet’s path from Cork to Oxford
The Anchorage Bernard O’Donoghue Faber and Faber, £12.99 / €16.99 One of the few photographs of Bernard O’Donoghue before he left Cork for England, in an era when only returned Yanks had cameras, was taken in 1960 at the ordination of Daniel O’ Leary, my first cousin (later to become a celebrated author and theologian). …
Is the subject of abortion regarded as done and dusted?
Should more energy be put into sacramental preparation programmes? Dear Editor, Chai Brady reported (July 10) that the percentage of baptised children making First Communion and Confirmation is declining. The Iona Institute argues that the decrease makes a strong argument for a further divestment of Catholic schools, perhaps arguing that the Church should focus on…
St Oliver ‘was completely aware of his call to martyrdom’
By Marion Hausmann The 400th anniversary celebration of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett, who was martyred for his faith in 1681, took place last Sunday at his national shrine in Armagh, following the procession of his holy relics through Drogheda led by the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Eamon Martin. “He lived, and died, by…
Crosscare and DePaul warn of homelessness among asylum-seekers
By Marion Hausmann The heads of Crosscare and DePaul, two Catholic agencies providing services to those seeking asylum in Ireland, have sent a joint letter to the Ministers for Housing and Justice demanding better action be taken to prevent homelessness among asylum-seekers. This comes in response to the Department of Justice moving people out of…
Is NI a nation or is it part of a nation?
The past is a different country Dear Editor, L.P. Hartley wrote “The past is another country. They do things differently there.” When we look at the past through the eyes of the present we end up taking the high moral ground from societies abandonment of unmarried pregnant women to mother and baby homes to the…
Church weddings are getting tougher and tougher
I had the wedding from hell this month — or maybe more correctly the bridal couple who seemed to have been spawned there. It is probably my fault, my misunderstanding: I thought that in giving the couple oodles of time to share their story with me, I was building rapport with them, but in fact…
Continuing the Synodal journey as Pilgrims of Hope
By Fr Eamonn Conway Christian hope is all around us. It is most readily visible in the lives of what Pope Francis called “the saints next door”, our neighbours and friends. Among them are even those who do not overtly consider themselves religious, who respond to the circumstances of everyday life as best they…
Thoughts on outreach: ‘Taking the risk from Christ’
An ‘invitation-to-parish-groupings’ approach to outreach, might distract us from the essential place of faith in outreach, writes Fr Chris Hayden A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a piece on the nature of membership of Church and parish. I made the point that the most fundamental ‘thing’ about membership is not belonging to parish groups…