The Irish sisters using goats and donkeys to cheer up the residents of a nursing home in Dublin are just the latest example of the unique relationship between the Church and the animal kingdom. Mount Sackville Nursing Home in Dublin has been making waves this week after the Sisters there revealed that key to their…
With Pope Francis meeting Comedian’s from around the world tomorrow, we thought it was a good time, to dust off the old joke books, tickle the funny bones and present our list of ten of the greatest Catholic jokes of all time. Jesus asked God, “Where have you been these past 4 years?” God replied,…
Ardal O’Hanlon, Tommy Tiernan, and Patrick Kielty are part of an international delegation of comedians who will meet Pope Francis on Friday. But will they be eating their words in the Vatican? Have you heard the one about the three Irish comedians who walked into the Vatican? As part of the Holy See’s efforts to…
As the first Millennial on the path to sainthood, Blessed Carlo Acutis demonstrated a remarkable ability to inspire faith in others. What can his story teach us about bringing others to the Faith? A child dragging their parent to Mass might seem like a real “man bites dog” situation. To be sure for many Catholic…
The news this week that Blessed Carlo Acutis may soon be canonised has been greeted with delight in Ireland, where he already inspires great devotion. The first saint to wear Nikes may soon become a reality. As we reported yesterday, Pope Francis has formally recognised a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis,…
At first glance, the streaming show Bodkin seems very modern in its attitude, but as it progresses, it reveals that Catholicism is still integral to Ireland. If you’ve logged into Netflix in recent weeks, you’ll likely have seen Bodkin promoted. Supposedly a comedy, it has all the tropes of a particular depiction of modern Irishness.…
Although many may believe, the Vatican has not endorsed. Medjugorje Apparitions: Since June 24, 1981, six children in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, claimed to have regular visions of the Virgin Mary. These visions reportedly continue to this day, drawing millions of pilgrims annually. The Vatican has not issued an official statement confirming the supernatural nature…
All these apparitions have been marked with Feasts by the church. Our Lady of Good Health (India, 16th and 17th Centuries) The first apparition involved a boy encountering a woman and child by a lakeside, where he miraculously provided milk for them. In a subsequent apparition, a disabled boy received a request from Mary to…
After centuries of religious sectarianism, Scottish Catholics have taken an unlikely fancy to the deeply Presbyterian Kate Forbes. Ian Dunn explains the shift. Scottish politics is a shambles. A decade on from losing a historic referendum on independence, the Scottish Nationalist Party remains in charge of the devolved government in Edinburgh. A decade of scandals,…
This week, an AI ‘priest’ sparked consternation among many Catholics, but it is just the latest in a long line of attempts to merge theology with technology. Ian Dunn explores why the idea of a robot priest won’t go away As laicisations go, it was quick. Barely a day after American Catholic apologetics website Catholic…