Author Jon M. Sweeney tells Mags Gargan about how St Francis’ legacy was almost destroyed by his best friend One of the first of many surprises when Pope Francis was elected head of the Church was that he chose the name Francis, after St Francis of Assisi, because he was “the man of poverty, the…
Archbishop Eamon Martin and Dean Colum Curry presented over 300 young people with the Muiredach Cross Award and the Pope John Paul II Award at the sixth annual Armagh Diocesan Faith Award Ceremony in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh. The Muiredach Cross Award is aimed at the younger school students in the archdiocese as a…
Mags Gargan visits a rural Tipperary school for a special celebration to mark its students’ commitment to social justice The modern, bright and newly renovated Presentation Secondary School in Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary can be found tucked away on the outskirts of the village. With just over 200 students, the co-educational school is a small community…
The Bishop of Raphoe has compared a rural parish losing a priest to losing essential services such as a post office or a Garda station. Bishop Philip Boyce celebrated his 50th anniversary of joining the priesthood at a Mass in St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny at the weekend. Speaking to the Donegal Democrat ahead of…
The Irish bishops’ overseas aid agency has criticised Europe’s response to the refugee crisis, as several hundred people are reported to have drowned off the coast of Egypt on Sunday. Up to 500 people are estimated to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea trying to illegally cross from Libya to Italy. This latest tragedy coincides…
Thornhill Ministries in Derry is celebrating a ‘Jubilee of Consolation’ with a festival of flowers entitled ‘Dry the Tears’. The festival is being hosted by Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Steelstown Road, Derry on the weekend of May 6-8 and follows on from the vigil to “dry the tears” which Pope Francis is celebrating in…
Over the last number of months, a number of enthusiastic RE and music teachers within the Archdiocese of Tuam have been working on a new project which will bring 300 young people together to perform a charity concert. Awakening will be a performance of a combination of modern church and contemporary music which will raise…
A group of 13 ladies, two men and two children visited the convent of the Holy Rosary Sisters in Temple Road, Dublin, laden with music and delicious food to thank the sisters for the work they have done in Africa. The group represented the Women Intercessors for the Church and the Nations, also known as…
A group of lay people, sent as delegates by parishes throughout the Diocese of Elphin, has been in formation and training during the past three months, as part of the development of a Diocesan Eucharistic Adoration Committee. The Diocesan Committee has now been commissioned at a special Mass offered by Bishop Kevin Doran in Abbey Community…
The local faith development group in the Diocese of Galway, tSli Chriost, has produced and distributed a May altar leaflet in order to spread knowledge of and devotion to Our Lady through the erection of May altars. These leaflets have proved popular with parishioners throughout the diocese with homes, schools and churches taking part in…