A priest who volunteered at Lough Derg and studied in Rome has been remembered by friends and Church leaders as “a hero” and “a good shepherd” on the anniversary of his martyrdom. Fr Ragheed Ganni, a Chaldean Catholic priest from Mosul, was murdered by extremists on June 3 2007 after celebrating Mass with his parishioners.…
Seventeen early medieval manuscripts linked to Irish monastic missionaries have returned to Ireland for the first time in over a millennium, as part of a landmark exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland. The exhibition, Words on the Wave: Ireland and St Gallen in Early Medieval Europe, opened May 30 at the museum’s Kildare Street…
Released during the sombre hours of Good Friday, Sins of Ireland is the latest film from solicitor-turned-filmmaker Alex Fegan, known for documentaries like The Irish Pub and Older than Ireland. Sixteen years ago, he left the law business to pursue his passion and has never looked back—joking that “the only skill that transferred over was…
Pope Leo XIV assured Irish clergy of his continual prayers for vocations in Ireland during an audience in St Peter’s Square, where he met with a delegation of Irish vocation directors, including Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan of Waterford and Lismore. Bishop Cullinan, who introduced the delegation to the Pope, called the meeting “a very personal moment.”…
Lough Derg opened its 2025 pilgrimage season with 256 ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ taking part in the first Three Day Pilgrimage of the Jubilee Year, a 20% increase on last year. The famous pilgrimage, renowned for its spiritual intensity, involves fasting, going barefoot, night-long vigil, and continuous prayer — all in pursuit of reflection, renewal, and…
Fr Jerald David, Aghamore parish administrator, led 40 pilgrims in a special Mass at the Mass Rock in Cloonacool, Tubercurry, Co. Sligo, marking a significant location where priests secretly celebrated Mass during the Penal Times. These dangerous periods in Irish history saw the celebration of Mass which was banned, and priests were hunted, facing the…
The Sisters of Mercy in Cobh celebrated the 175th anniversary of their community. The occasion was marked by a special Mass celebrated by Bishop William Crean at St Colman’s Cathedral, with Srs Pauline, Emmanuel, Anne-Marie, and Ann in attendance, supported by the Parish schools and clergy. In an interview with The Irish Catholic, Sr Emmanuel,…
As the centenary of Matt Talbot’s death approaches, the Knights of St Columbanus have launched a renewed effort to promote the Venerable not only as a candidate for sainthood but as a model saint for the modern day. Their initiative — tied to commemorations taking place on June 6–8 — looks ahead, seeking to present…
With exam season underway and major changes to the Leaving Cert incoming, the question of AI use in schools has never felt more urgent. Fr Philip Larrey, Catholic priest and AI ethicist, says artificial intelligence can support learning but only if used wisely. “You can use AI to train,” he told The Irish Catholic. “It…
Bro. John Salvador Kenny, a Franciscan monk born in 1925, has devoted his life to service and recently marked his 100th birthday. Raised on a farm in Longford, he trained as a psychiatric nurse before joining the Franciscans in 1952, taking the name Salvador. Over the decades, he served in Dublin, Killarney, Galway, Belfast, and…