Greetings from the holiday month of July “Summertime And the living is easy, Fish are jumping And the cotton is high…” With apologies to the composer of this tune, George Gerschwin, it is the jazzy voice of Ella Fitzgerald which sums up how July feels for this pastor. It’s a lovely month in most country…
Dear Editor, The Irish Catholic has noted the Government’s intention to pay tribute to Daniel O’Connell in 2029, an intention without reference to his achievement of Catholic Emancipation in 1829. It’s best to leave the State to do its own thing. It believes it can celebrate O’Connell as an accomplished human rights activist while it itself…
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…
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). …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…