Prelates have honoured the “devoted and generous” Bishop Martin Drennan following his death aged 78 on Friday. He was ordained as a priest of Ossory diocese in 1968. The current bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, Bishop Michael Duignan, said Bishop Drennan was an internationally respected academic who “taught with energy, passion and insight at…
While the local community has been stepping up and embracing newcomers, there is concern and “anxiety” in Wicklow Town due to the recent influx of asylum seekers, the local priest has warned. Fr Donal Roche PP of Wicklow told The Irish Catholic that the community has been “very welcoming” to asylum seekers but that there…
A pro-life group has called on voters to urge their TDs to retain the 3-day waiting period before women can undergo an abortion. The Life Institute said the waiting period gives women a period of reflection before the procedure, adding that it has proven to reduce the number of abortions taking place in Ireland. More…
The heads of the Irish Defence Forces and British Army chaplaincies have said Fr Willie Doyle SJ, whose cause for sainthood was opened on Sunday, is a role model for modern army chaplains. Fr Doyle was killed in World War I while helping soldiers. He was known for assisting anyone who needed him regardless of…
Relatives of army chaplain Fr Willie Doyle SJ have described their joy after his cause for sainthood was officially opened in Co. Westmeath over the weekend. Fr Doyle died in 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I. The courageous priest is known for ministering to all who needed him, despite their creed…
The message of an Irish army chaplain currently on the road sainthood can combat a narrow sense of nationalism in Ireland that seeks to “exclude and scapegoat”, the Bishop of Meath has said. Bishop Tom Deenihan hailed Fr Willie Doyle SJ who died in 1917 during World War I, saying his generosity extended beyond nationality…
Homelessness charity Depaul has welcomed Pope Francis’ blessing of a new sculpture depicting the plight of homeless people. Ahead of the sixth World Day of the Poor, November 13, the Pope blessed ‘Sheltering’. The bronze sculpture is life-sized and depicts the figure of a homeless person covered by a blanket pulled by a pigeon in…
Tributes have poured in for the renowned historian, author and lecturer Dr Éamon Phoenix who made a “unique contribution to the peace process”, following his death this week. Belfast-based Dr Phoenix was an expert in the history of Ireland and Northern Ireland. He was a former teacher in St Malachy’s College, Belfast, and lectured in…
Children’s Corner Quicksand is created when water is trapped in sand or marshy earth, thus creating a soil that is halfway between a solid and a liquid.Although the name quicksand would indicate it is in fact created with sand, it can be any mass of clay or dirt particles that contain trapped water. It is…
The Diocese of Down and Connor brought relics of St Padre Pio to the diocese from November 6-11 to mark 20 years since he was declared a saint. Fr Brian Watters CC of St Peter’s Cathedral Parish, in Belfast, had the relics in the cathedral for three days from November 6. “The numbers who came…