A priest who ministered to a journalist murdered by paramilitaries as she lay dying has described her killers as “anti-Christ”. Lyra McKee was shot on Holy Thursday evening while she covered a riot in the Creggan area of Derry City. Ms McKee (29) was murdered by a gunman who was shooting at the police. The…
Realising that the planet is on the brink of a precipice that can only be stopped by the actions of humans who need an “ecological conversion”, is an idea that can’t be understated according to several prominent academics. Over the weekend more than 100 people gathered in the Dromantine Conference Centre in Co. Down for…
Clergy have denounced a 10-year ban from ministry of a paedophile priest, saying it is “bizarre” and “abhorrent” that he wasn’t dismissed from the clerical state completely. It has been reported that the Legion of Christ announced the Vatican has banned an Irish priest from public ministry for 10 years for the sexual abuse of…
Using the Pope’s encyclical on the environment to inform prayer and liturgy is “a proposal that the bishops can take up”, particularly as the language appeals to young people, the Bishop of Down and Connor has said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic during a conference on Laudato Si’, hosted by the Society of African Missionaries…
Children’s Corner When scissors are introduced into a child’s world for the first time, all sorts of mayhem can ensue, but what could be better than putting their skills to good use and recreating one of nature’s most-loved reptiles? Turtles and tortoises comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours; certain species can…
While Catholic marriage ceremonies are still the most popular in Ireland there has been dramatic decline, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The figures also reveal Irish grooms are now the oldest on record. The CSO data for last year shows that on average men are now aged 36.4 when they tie the knot.…
Young people leaving care face a mountain of obstacles, with homelessness being one of the most acute. Although it is true there are challenges for any child in becoming independent, the life experience of many exiting the State’s charge lead to highly complex cases. In the context of Ireland’s housing crisis there are now over…
Dominican sisters tell Chai Brady about their new youth group Young people are longing to be “known and loved” says a Dominican sister based in Limerick, and that’s exactly what her order intend to let them know. Coming from Nashville, Tennessee, Sr Mara Grace and her three fellow sisters have been organising events and…
An Irish homelessness charity has welcomed an initiative that offers homeless people a fixed postal address at their local post office. An Post says it is Europe’s first free personal address and mail collection service for people living in temporary accommodation or are homeless. Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) Homeless Service Coordinator, Fiona McDonnell said: “We…
Catholic education has built a “reputation of success” because of its ethos and sense of belonging, an academic has said after Catholic schools topped Northern Ireland’s leader board. A performance guide which focused on the amount of top marks students received for the 2017/18 academic year found nine out of the top 10 schools were…