The Dublin Marathon has long been an opportunity for those of good heart (and legs) to raise funds for all manner of good causes. This year, Fr Barry White, semi-regular contributor to The Irish Catholic, joined thousands racing the rain-soaked streets of the capital, raising €4,500 for the Vincentian Lay Missionaries (VLM), who support education,…
Finding Christ in the shadows: Fr Ryan Duns SJ on the theology of horror
“Horror movies can actually help us have the sometimes awkward conversations, but in a safe way,” says Fr Ryan Duns SJ. “That’s my pitch whenever parents get nervous and say, ‘You’re teaching a course on horror at a Catholic school?’ “I tell them, honestly, they’re watching these films anyway. So why not baptise the genre?…
American priests show ‘synodality in practice’ despite mixed views on Synod process
A new report from The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America offers a revealing snapshot of American priests in 2025 from their morale, pastoral priorities, and perceptions of Church leadership. The study shows that on the whole priests report satisfaction with ministry, but trust in bishops is still low, albeit with some improvement.…
Catholic educators call for courage to teach the whole person
“Education is not just about knowledge and academic excellence,” said Dr Aiveen Mullally. “It is an act of hope.” That conviction set the tone for this year’s Network for Researchers in Catholic Education (NfRCE) Annual Conference, held at the Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, on October 16-17. The event gathered academics, principals, teachers and chaplains…
Master of Dominican Order honours Kerry martyr
The worldwide head of the Dominican Order, Fr Gerard Timoner OP, visited Killacloghane Wood, Milltown, Co. Kerry, last weekend to mark the 372nd anniversary of the martyrdom of Venerable Fr Tadhg Moriarty OP, Prior of Tralee Abbey. Fr Timoner, the Master of the Order of Preachers, celebrated open-air Mass at the historic Mass Rock where…
Pro Life Campaign conference urges hope and persistence amid signs of progress
The Pro Life Campaign hosted its annual national conference last weekend in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin, under the theme ‘Pathways to Progress – Working for a Pro-Life Future’. The event, chaired by broadcaster Wendy Grace, gathered hundreds of activists determined to keep hope alive for Ireland’s pro-life movement in the years following the repeal of…
How Ireland’s missionary spirit is finding new life closer to home
When Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly reflects on Ireland’s missionary tradition, he sees a great line of continuity. “There was a time when we sent missionaries to the four corners of the earth,” he told The Irish Catholic. “One of the strongest things we can ask of people. Be part of our own family of the baptised.…
Irish Church welcomes Pope Leo’s call to serve the poor
“Love must become a mission,” said Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, welcoming Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You), Pope Leo XIV’s first Apostolic Exhortation. The document, he said, “moves us from places of comfort to works of compassion and service,” calling Christians to recognise Christ in the poor and confront the structural causes of poverty. Across…
Church must be active in guiding Gen Z’s quiet revival, says Dominican
After decades of decline, signs suggest that Ireland’s younger generation might be leading a quiet return to faith. Research from the Bible Society and the recent Iona Institute poll points to a stabilisation and, in some places, a rising of church attendance among Gen Z. Exploring what this means for the future, the Iona Institute…
Misean Cara: Carrying the mission forward into the next chapter
The morning sun beats down on the city of Wau, South Sudan. In a modest classroom with yellow concrete walls at the Catholic Health Sciences Institute (CHSI), rows of smiling nursing students await the day’s lesson. They are studying anatomy and midwifery, gaining the skills to serve their country, where maternal mortality rates remain among…








