In August, Pope Francis came to Ireland as part of the World Meeting of Families, visiting both Dublin and Knock. Prior to his arrival hundreds of volunteers had been working night and day to ensure that entire event was a success and an appropriate celebration for Irish families. On August 21, all 26 of Ireland’s…
Catholics who are deciding to leave the Church are doing so at an increasingly young age, a new study has revealed. While it’s clear that there has been a sharp decline in those practicing the Faith in Western countries, new research has shown that people stop identifying as Catholics at a median age of 13,…
Forget Clark Kent, journalist Paul Clark is the real superhero of Christmas, writes Colm Fitzpatrick There’s a pervasive feeling in today’s society that the enchantment of Christmas disappears as we get older, but for television presenter and journalist Paul Clark, the magic of this festive season is still alive and well. The UTV reporter,…
Colm Fitzpatrick speaks with acclaimed singer and musician Nathan Carter It might be easy to think that a national celebrity who has even sang in front of two Popes might be tempted to have a decked out and lavish Christmas, but for well-known country singer Nathan Carter, the true luxuries of this festive day…
Parents are relying on loan sharks to stave off Christmas debts, The Irish Catholic has learned. Although the festive holiday can be an expensive time of year, a well-known charity has revealed that parents are depending on extortionate money lenders to pay for Christmas expenses. According to Michael Deehan, who is based in one of…
Colm Fitzpatrick and Greg Daly Parishioners need to go the extra mile in reaching out to family and friends who are no longer practicing the Faith, bishops have urged. Given decreasing numbers of people attending Mass in Ireland, bishops have said the laity need to be creative and original in bringing back those who have fallen away. After…
With bishops urging parishioners to be “creative and original” in encouraging family members and friends to come back to the Faith, the initiatives they have developed in their own dioceses set a shining example of how Catholics can be innovative in their own personal spheres of influence. The Mercy on the Mall event which has…
Preparing for Christmas can take the stress out of the day, writes Colm Fitzpatrick There are certain facts that you can only learn about by growing older: time is a limited resource; your health is a priority; and of course, Christmas is really stressful. For kids, this festive day is almost other-worldly, where they…
Children’s Corner There are literally hundreds of thousands of magic tricks that exist today, each of which have their distinct subtleties or presentations. The majority of these tricks, however, can be reduced down to single-word effects like disappearance or transformation. One popular effect created by magicians is penetration – the idea of piercing or…
The dramatic marriage between Mary and Joseph was a ground-breaking moment in history, writes Colm Fitzpatrick When we think of an image of Mary and Joseph together, the first picture that usually comes to mind is the nativity scene in the stable or perhaps the flight to Egypt from King Herod, but often forgotten…