Over 200 members of parish pastoral councils (PPC) from the Diocese of Clonfert and the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, gathered in Loughrea for the Le Chéile formation day on May 10. The event focused on supporting lay leadership and deepening co-responsibility in parish life, as discussed by speakers, was led by Patricia Carroll,…
“Welcome to the desert of the real,” Morpheus tells Neo as he awakens from the computer-generated dreamworld into grim reality. The line, borrowed from Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard, captures a central modern anxiety: what if the world we experience is not real, but an illusion? In his work, Baudrillard – a French philosopher…
St Leo I (Leo the Great) Papacy: 440–461 Canonised Saint | Doctor of the Church The first pope to bear the title “the Great”, Leo I was a theological giant and a steady leader in times of crisis. He fiercely defended orthodox Christology during the Council of Chalcedon, helped define the doctrine of Christ’s two…
“This has been quite an ordeal and in the 50th year of my priesthood, it’s the last thing you expect to happen,” said Fr Stephen Duffy PP of Ravensdale, Co. Louth, speaking to The Irish Catholic after his parochial house was targeted in back-to-back incidents over the weekend. Petrol bombs were thrown at the house,…
Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín TD has long been an outspoken critic of Tusla, consistently advocating for transparency and reform. Recently, the party secured documents under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, specifically an email exchange between the Minister for Children and Tusla’s CEO as well as briefing notes from a call between the two on…
The papal conclave of 2025 will begin following the passing of Pope Francis, whose 12-year papacy profoundly shaped the Catholic Church. The conclave, expected to take place on May 7, faces the difficult task of selecting a successor—one who must navigate a diverse Church and lead it through a complex global landscape marked by various…
A recent release from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that the number of marriages post-Covid have been on the decline. In 2024, Ireland saw 20,348 marriages registered, including 668 same-sex unions, marking a 3.8% drop from 2023 and a 7.7% decline since 2014. Overall the marriage rate was 3.8 per 1000 people, down from…
AMRI hosted a gathering for returned missionaries at the Avila Retreat and Conference Centre in Dublin. The event was primarily social, providing an opportunity for attendees to connect, share stories, and engage with others, whether they had recently returned or had been back for some time. The idea for the event stemmed from last year’s…
Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell has taken centre stage in the Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. As Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Farrell holds a critical role overseeing Church operations during the sede vacante – the period of papal vacancy. Cardinal Farrell, 77, confirmed the Pope’s death from…
Lough Derg has received a permanent relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the soon-to-be canonised Italian teen known as the “influencer of God.” The relic—a lock of his hair—now rests in St Mary’s Chapel on the island, following a request by Bishop Larry Duffy to the Diocese of Assisi. Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 and…