In the days leading up to the feast day of St Valentine, which happens to fall on a Saturday this year, the Carmelite priests and staff that occupy Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin city centre will be preparing for one of their busiest weekends of the year, with couples young and old traveling to pray…
Pope Leo expresses ‘genuine empathy’ for Irish abuse survivor’s experience
On Monday February 2, David Ryan became the first abuse survivor to have a private audience with Pope Leo alone, an experience that he said he will “never forget”. Prior to meeting Pope Leo, Mr Ryan outlined his plan for the meeting: he had questions for the pontiff and wanted to share both his story…
Bishop Niall Coll hopes to ‘awaken the laity’ in Diocese of Raphoe
Bishop Niall Coll has returned to his home diocese of Raphoe with an appreciation for the distinctiveness of the Donegal experience and a call for lay participation. Sitting down with Greg Hughes for a Highland Radio podcast episode on January 27, Bishop Coll reflected on his journey from student in Maynooth, to priest, to bishop.…
Place Egypt on watch list, Commission on International Religious Freedom says
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is calling on the Trump administration to place Egypt on a watch list after a Christian man was sentenced to five years in prison with hard labor for allegedly violating the country’s blasphemy laws “for his online content critical of Islam.” “Egypt is systematically enforcing laws, policies,…
Another millennial saint? The story of Joe Wilson
“I will always be close to God, because he is the most important thing in my life.” This is how Joe Wilson, a young Scotsman on the path to sainthood, expressed his profound relationship with the Lord in his personal diary, which since his sudden death at the age of 17 in 2011 has inspired…
Spain authorities’ ‘confusion’ prevented priests from administering last rites to train crash victims
Bishop Jesús Fernández of Córdoba has said that the “confusion” of the authorities prevented priests at the scene of the recent train crash in Adamuz from administering last rites to victims. Fernández said priests at the scene of the accident couldn’t administer last rites to the victims because authorities “thought the dead were already dead…
Sarah Mullally confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury
Sarah Mullally walked into St Paul’s Cathedral on January 28 as the Bishop of London. When she walked out in the afternoon as bells rang out, she was the spiritual leader of millions of Anglicans around the world. Mullally, 63, became the Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to lead the Church of…
Religious Sisters of Charity leave legacy of spiritual and material care in Cork
After serving the people of Cork since 1826, the Religious Sisters of Charity (RSC) are concluding their ministry in the city. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, the RSC acknowledged the work of the founding sisters in the 19th century, who established the tradition of visiting the sick, schools, and local factories. “At every stage, the…
Faith and social life go hand in hand with twelve pubs alternative
Luke Doogue, Neil Patterson, and Stephen Patterson took the Christmastime twelve pubs tradition into their own hands after they found themselves with nothing to do on Sunday mornings. The Co. Wicklow locals are golfers, and when one suggested attending Mass instead of golfing on a rainy Sunday, the men coined the term ‘twelve churches’ instead…
Climate action talk in Kerry combines science and spirituality
The Fossa Climate Action Group is welcoming scientific and spiritual perspectives to their November 30 event titled ‘The Web of Life: How do we care for our common home?’. The event hopes to address growing concern for the warming climate’s effect on Co. Kerry’s landscapes. Dr Brendan O’Keeffe, a Kerry-based geographer and social scientist, will…









