Israel Olatunde is sprinting ahead as the world stands still, but sees God as the greatest prize, writes Jason Osborne Few activities are as liberating as running as fast as you can. For some reason as we grow up, we do it less and less, but most of us can remember the ecstatic joy of…
Scottish bishops issue statement of solidarity with Irish Faithful
The thoughts and prayers of the Church in Scotland are now directed “to our brothers and sisters in Ireland”, the president of the Bishops’ Conference in Scotland has said. Commenting on the recent decision by the Irish Government to enact restrictions which criminalise public worship, Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen issued a statement, saying “As…
Pastor holds Sunday service in Phoenix Park despite worship ban and plans to do so again
A Christian pastor held a worship service for about 60 people in Dublin’s Phoenix Park last Sunday, and said he plans on being there again this coming Sunday. Explaining his decision, Pastor John Ahern of All Nations Church in Dublin said “At the end of the day, I do think there are some things worth…
Government ‘tricking’ Faithful into compliance through ambiguity – Law professor
The Government has been “tricking” citizens into compliance through “calculated ambiguity between legal obligations and public health advice, a leading law professor has said. Professor Oran Doyle of Trinity College Dublin took to Twitter to criticise the Government’s behaviour concerning religious restrictions throughout the pandemic. Citing an article in The Irish Times earlier this week, Prof. Doyle…
‘We don’t teach hate, Mr President’
Higgins’ comments on Catholic schools rejected A number of prominent Catholic voices have rejected a claim by President Michael D. Higgins that the fact that parental choice is central to education policy in the North and many parents choose to send their children to Catholic schools is to abandon them “to parcels of hate and…
NI peace architect advises calm amid fresh clashes
The recent street violence in Northern Ireland has dashed illusions that there are no circumstances in which “lethal, politically-motivated violence” could recur, former adviser to Taoisigh Martin Mansergh has said. A key architect in the Northern Ireland peace process, Mr Mansergh wrote in The Irish Catholic this week that the causes of tension need to…
Living the dream alongside St Joseph
The Irish Catholic Vocations Supplement 2021 Dreams Lived Out Through Service Religious orders continue to live out St Joseph’s dream of love and service in Ireland and around the world, writes Jason Osborne All eyes are on St Joseph this year – Pope Francis dedicated the year to him, and the topic of his…
Apprenticeship focus a positive development – Social Justice Ireland
10,000 apprenticeships have been announced this week as part of an Action Plan on Apprenticeships, the move being hailed as a “positive development” by Fr Sean Healy SMA of Social Justice Ireland. As part of the new plan, 10,000 apprenticeships will be created every year from 2025 onwards, with a target to hire 750 public…
Is Vitamin D the solution to our Covid problems?
Mounting evidence suggests that taking a Vitamin D supplement may be a game-changer in the fight against Covid-19, writes Jason Osborne In recent weeks, the cross-party Oireachtas Committee on Health published a 28-page report suggesting that Irish people should take daily Vitamin D supplements. This comes due to growing evidence that it might help to prevent Covid-19…
Online events mark 5th anniversary of the death of Sr Clare Crockett
Tomorrow, April 16, marks the 5th anniversary of the death of Sr Clare Crockett and the five young women who died with her. The young sister died in an earthquake in Ecuador in 2016. A series of online events are set to take place over the weekend to mark the occasion. April 16 will see…