Wellbeing programmes in Faith schools could do more to help protect students from mental health issues, a leading Irish theologian has said. Tuam-based priest Prof. Eamonn Conway and Dr Kerry Greer of Limerick’s Mary Immaculate College have said that emerging resilience programmes in Irish schools lack a scientific basis, and that the notion of Christian…
While Christmas is usually a time most of us look forward to, social justice campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said homeless people dread the festive season. Speaking to the paper as the trust launched its 2017 annual report, Fr McVerry said that Christmas is the most “depressing day of the year” for homeless people as they…
Christian hope and resilience go hand in hand, writes Colm Fitzpatrick In a world that is becoming increasingly characterised by conflict, confusion and uncertainty, the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity is a value more prized than ever before. While it’s easy to ignore our own failings or struggles and coil…
A Cork-based priest has condemned a vandalism attack of a nativity scene at one the city’s oldest ecclesiastical structures. Just hours after its unveiling on December 2, the Red Abbey Crib, located behind the railings inside the landmark abbey tower, was trespassed and vandalised. After the official light switch-on at the crib on Saturday night,…
The Church needs you as much as you need it, writes Colm Fitzpatrick If God loves all of us, why doesn’t he explicitly reveal himself to everyone so that there would be no doubt of his existence? Surely, if God can do all logically possible things it would be a piece of cake for…
A hard border being erected between the north and south will give “oxygen” to dissident groups who will use it as an opportunity to promote paramilitary violence, a well-known priest has said. Fr Gary Donegan CP, nationally renowned for his ongoing commitment to conflict resolution and peace building in the North of Ireland, said that…
A new 32-county, pro-life republican party will give a voice to the disillusioned and unrepresented citizens of Ireland, former Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín has said. The Meath West TD, who resigned from Sinn Féin last week following a six-month suspension for refusing to vote for the removal of the Eighth Amendment, said the new…
An Irish football team have made their country proud after winning gold in an international sporting event. The Irish Homeless Street Leagues, which has run numerous street leagues around Ireland since 2003, lifted the Fundacion Telmex Telcel Trophy after beating Romania 8-3 in their final match. The 16th edition of the Homeless World Cup took…
A parish priest has said he is “disappointed” that a local council have prioritised removing a statue of the Virgin Mary on land close to a planned goldmine, and that there should be a focus on the environmental impact of the development. The eight-foot (2.4m) high statue is located in Greencastle on land where Canadian…
Don’t forget that Christmas is a time for sharing, writes Colm Fitzpatrick The Christmas season has the incredible ability to turn an empty, quiet house into a bustling and lively hub where families – for a short period of time – can catch up and reminisce over stories and jokes long gone past. However,…