The Irish Association for the Lasallian Mission (De La Salle) held its AGM in Castletown, Portlaoise recently. Fifty school principals, teachers and others spent time together to review and plan for how best to promote its mandate of “human and Christian education”. Its president, Tom O’Neill, Waterford welcomed the gatherings from all over Ireland and…
Mags Gargan
Speaking out against injustice
Mags Gargan meets the first person to hold the new position of CORI/IMU Justice Coordinator
Belfast parish raises €70,000 for refugee crisis
A parish appeal in Belfast to raise funds to help alleviate the suffering of refugees fleeing war in Syria has raised an incredible €70,000. Sparked by frustration at what they saw as a poor political response to the crisis, the Redemptorist community at Clonard Monastery undertook fundraising collections at the end of September, which was…
Irish composers’ song performed at world meeting
Cormac O’Duffy, a former teacher and graduate of UCD and UL, had his oratorio The Wedding Feast of the Lamb premiered in front of a full church at St John the Evangelist in Philadelphia during the World Meeting of Families (WMOF). The work, dedicated to marriage and family, was performed by the Choirs of Villanova…
Parish Cells celebrate 25 years in Ireland
The Parish Cells National Seminar hosted in St John the Evangelist Parish, Ballinteer, while celebrating 25 years of parish cells in Ireland, had as its theme ‘A Vision for Parish Community – how a cell community can contribute to parish life”. In 1990 Fr Michael Hurley and three parishioners from Ballinteer attended an international seminar…
Film about work of Belfast nun nominated for ‘Kenyan Oscar’
A documentary following the work of an Irish missionary sister supporting people with HIV/AIDS has been nominated for the Kenyan version of the Oscars. Nurtured with Love, a video on the work undertaken by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa in the Love and Hope Centre in Nakuru, Kenya, has been nominated for this year’s…
The good shepherds bring a sheep (and a hen) to Knock
Ben Burke and son Ben Jr from Foxford, Co. Mayo with their pet sheep Polly and hen Penny at the annual blessing of the pets for the feast of St francis of Assisi which took place over the weekend at Knock Marian shrine. Photo: Gerard Smyth
Clergy hospital visits hampered by ‘red tape’
“Red tape gone mad” is now preventing priests and other religious ministers making hospital visits from finding out if any of their parishioners have been admitted. Traditionally clergy could access a ‘religious list’ at hospital receptions which gave patients’ names, addresses and religions so that they could ascertain if any parishioners had been admitted. Over…
Blessing of heritage wall at Cork hospital
A new heritage wall recounting the many developments over the years at the Mercy University Hospital, Cork City was blessed by Bishop John Buckley and the ribbon was cut by Sr Laurentia, Former Director of Nursing, in the presence of Sandra Daly CEO, Margaret McKiernan, Director of Nursing and many present staff members. The hospital…
Franciscan Missionary Sisters celebrate 80th anniversary
A parish Mass for the Year of Consecrated Life in the Church of Our Lady of the Wayside in Jenkinstown, Co. Louth coincided with the fact that the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa were celebrating the 80th anniversary of the foundation of their mother house, Mount Oliver Convent. Parish Priest of Lordship & Ballymascanlon, Fr…