Godly Play seeks to help children explore their innate spirituality in a Scripture-centric way, writes Jason Osborne How many Catholic parents over the years have longed to see their children engage with the Faith with the same degree of enthusiasm as they engage with their play? While I don’t have the answer to that, it’s…
Saint of the Week It wouldn’t have been proper to focus on anyone else this week other than Mary, the Mother of God. The Church celebrates on December 8 the Solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, which is such a momentous occasion that it’s a holy day of obligation – meaning that Catholics must attend Mass…
Questions of Faith Faith in the power of prayer has been shaken in recent years. Unanswered prayers have left many wondering if there’s anyone listening to them at all, and if not, what’s the point in maintaining the practice? If we ask for things – good things – and God doesn’t grant them, what does…
St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina, Co. Mayo welcomed 71 recipients of the John Paul II Award, Friday December 2. Bishop John Fleming of Killala Diocese was present to see the awards that enable participants to “take an active part in the life of their Church, in the life of their community and society” granted to…
The tranquil setting of Lough Derg, Co. Donegal saw the return of Youth 2000’s recent Ulster regional retreat, with Ulster regional retreat leader Lisa Russell saying everyone was “taken aback by the beauty of the island”. “It was our first Ulster [regional] retreat back in three years and we were blessed to be back on…
The nature of religious symbols across hundreds of State-run primary and secondary schools will be decided on a school by school basis, in consultation with parents according to a new ETB framework on ethos. The ETBI Patrons’ Framework on Ethos applies to over 200 second-level and primary schools run by the Education and Training Boards…
The lack of substitute teachers is getting “very serious” and is putting pressure on the entire education system, a representative of a Catholic schools’ body has warned. This comes following recent reports that 60% of posts on teacher supply panels in the Dublin region are vacant, as well as one post in ten across the…
A new study from Women’s Aid has revealed that the majority of people in Ireland believe that pornography is causing harm to society. Entitled It’s time to talk about porn, the study revealed that 81% of young people believe that engagement with porn leads to increased demand for violent sex. It also shared that 71%…
One Dublin parish is looking to contemplative prayer as the way forward for faith in Ireland, writes Jason Osborne Balally parish in south Co. Dublin is staking its future on the power of prayer. As the Church wanes in Ireland, parish priest Fr Jim Caffrey and chaplain Fr Dermot Lane insist that the decline in…
Pope Francis’ letter describing how Ukrainian pain is his pain and the Government’s move to recognise the Holodomor Famine as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people have been a “great support”, Fr Vasyl Kornitsky has said. The chaplain to the Ukrainian community in Ireland, Fr Kornitsky said that the support is coming at…