Michael Kelly is an award-winning writer and broadcaster specialising in religious and social affairs. Born and raised in Northern Ireland, he attended the Pontifical University St Patrick’s College, Maynooth where he obtained degrees in philosophy and theology and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome where he studieD social institutional communications. From 2002-2005 he was an Editor in the Central Information Service of Vatican Radio. In this role, he travelled with Pope St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI on overseas trips. In 2005, he returned to Dublin to take up the position of Deputy Editor with The Irish Catholic newspaper, succeeding as Editor in 2012. In 2016, he was appointed Consulting Editor of Columba Books, the Dublin-based publisher of religious and spiritual books. He is a regular contributor to programmes on RTÉ, BBC, UTV, CNN and Al Jazeera. He also have extensive experience offering media training and coaching in the voluntary sector. Mr Kelly is a weekly columnist with Ireland’s largest-selling secular newspaper the Irish Independent and has been published in The Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, The Irish News, The Guardian, Our Sunday Visitor, Catholic World Report, the National Catholic Reporter and the National Catholic Register. He writes from Ireland for Catholic News Service of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is co-author with Austen Ivereigh of the best-selling book How to Defend the Faith Without Raising Your Voice. He is a frequent visitor to the Holy Land and is currently working on a new book on the holy places in the Holy Land which is due to be published in Autumn 2019.
The Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible tells the story of the enslavement of the Israelites in ancient Egypt, their liberation from captivity at the hands of the Lord, their wandering in the desert and the revelation of the Promised Land. Theologically, it is the story of God’s abiding and eternal presence with his…
Despite the fact that 79% of those who responded to a public consultation opposed the changes, the British government today published regulations regarding the provision of abortion in the region that will come into effect next week. In 2019, abortion was decriminalised in the region over the heads of locally-elected politicians by British MPs in…
Archbishop Eamon Martin has paid tribute to priests and pastoral workers who are reaching out to those who feel frightened and vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at Mass this morning in the Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Colman in Newry, the country’s most-senior Churchman said “it is heart-warming to note the large number of people,…
Up to 30 priests have died in Italy as a result of the coronavirus pandemic gripping the country, according to the official newspaper of the Church there. Avvenire – the publication of the Italian bishops’ conference – reported that 28 priests were confirmed to have died from Covid-19, while two others died before they had…
Praying his traditional Sunday Angelus via a videolink Pope Francis called for all Christians to respond to the coronavirus pandemic “with the universality of prayer, of compassion, of tenderness”, adding, “Let us remain united. Let us make our closeness felt toward those persons who are the most lonely and tried”. Pope Francis – who normally…
Archbishop Eamon Martin is to lead the consecration of Ireland and her people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for protection from the coronavirus pandemic. The Primate of All-Ireland has invited bishops, clergy and the faithful to join him in praying the 12noon Angelus on Wednesday March 25 – Feastday of the Annunciation. The act…
National broadcaster RTÉ has announced plans to air daily Mass in response to coronavirus measures that have meant that many public celebrations of the Eucharist have been suspended. RTÉ will broadcast Mass every weekday at 10.30 from St Eunan’s and St Columba’s Cathedral, Letterkenny, on RTÉ News Now. The broadcasts will continue at least until 29th…
With most Masses cancelled, this is the first St Patrick’s Day since I was an infant that I was not physically at the Celebration of the Eucharist. And yet in tuning in to my parish’s online Mass at Newman’s University Church in Dublin I felt very connected and the ancient faith seemed very much alive.…
Churches around Ireland are to sound their bells across the country today, St Patrick’s Day as most Masses remain suspended over fears around coronavirus. The Government announced last week that public celebration of the country’s patron saint would not take place this year and most public Masses are not going ahead – the first time…
In the year 304, the Emperor Diocletian forbade Christians – on pain of death – from possessing the Scriptures, from gathering on Sundays to celebrate the Eucharist and from building places in which to hold their assemblies. In Abitene, a small village in present-day Tunisia, 49 Christians were taken by surprise one Sunday while they…