The decision to end The Priests, one of Ireland’s most successful musical acts of the last decade is a “bittersweet” one that wasn’t taken lightly according to a member of the trio, who finds solace that even in the group’s retirement, their “music and CDs are still there and will always be available” to encourage…
A Dublin parish that has recently “taken the plunge” and made the move to solar has hailed the move to more sustainable practices not only for the practical energy and cost reduction benefits, but also because they’re directly responding to the call of the Pope and seeing it as their Christian duty. Speaking to The…
An Irish Dominican nun, described as an “educational pioneer” and “award-winning filmmaker” has died at the age of 106. Sr Maureen MacMahon joined the Irish Congregation of Dominican Sisters in 1936 and went on to innovate in both educational and filmmaking realms. Commenting after Sr MacMahon’s death, Fr Conor McDonough OP said that the nun…
The canonisation of 16 Catholic women, martyred during the French Revolution, has been described as “wonderful” by an Irish priest, who added that “of all of the martyrs of the French Revolution, the 16 sisters of the Carmel of Compiègne are iconic”. Fr John Hogan, a priest of the Diocese of Meath and Postulator for the…
Following an event in a Dublin parish where a speaker who identified as transgender addressed the congregation during an ‘LGBTQIA+ Christmas Carol Service’, a leading academic on Catholic sexual ethics has said the issue is “complicated” and that parishes should refer to the Church’s recently published document on human dignity if unsure how to approach…
As we have just emerged from the turn-of-year celebrations, I thought it fitting to end on a more positive note that’s in keeping with the season. We live in a time where not even the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, will mention the indisputable reason for the season. Contained on the official Christmas…
Even though I didn’t experience it, early 1990s Ireland seemed to a time of great cultural and behavioural flux. Poring over documents in the archives I got an unmistakable sense that this was one of the most defining periods in Ireland in terms of the island’s widespread disavowal of life through a Christian lens and…
I don’t think young people truly grasp the controversy and hysteria that Sinn Fein provoked in certain parts of the UK and indeed Ireland. During its most acute stage, the voices of the leaders of the Sinn Fein party were censored in both Ireland and the UK as a result of a broadcasting ban and…
A longstanding Democratic Unionist Party MP has expressed his support for a Latin Mass pilgrimage reportedly under threat by Vatican guidelines set out in the 2021 motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes that curtailed celebrations of the Latin Mass, saying that “the Latin Mass prohibition is another example of a situation where believers are restricted in practising…
After reports confirmed that the Franciscan Friary in Clonmel was due to be closed on the first day of the year, Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath has decried the closure of a “fabulous institution” and said that he has written to the head of the friary to see if the decision can be reversed.…