St Peter Canisius, born on May 8, 1521, in Nijmegen (now part of the Netherlands), shared his birthday with a significant event in Christian history. Martin Luther was placed under ban by the ‘Edict of Worms’, marking the formal start of the Protestant Reformation. Biographers often highlight this coincidence, noting how St Peter would become…
Whoever says, “I believe” says “I pledge myself to what we believe.” The syntheses of faith are called “professions of faith” since they summarise the faith that Christians profess, and it was gathered from all the Scriptures. They are called creeds, which comes from the word in Latin: credo (I believe). The first profession of…
By his Revelation, God, from the fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends, and moves among them. The adequate response to this invitation is faith. By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. To obey in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because…
The religious life and spirituality of the Carmel were clear and defining calls in the life of St John of the Cross. At eighteen, after finishing his studies in rhetoric and classical languages with the Jesuits in Medina del Campo, Ávila, Spain, he started his journey into the Carmelite order in 1563. Shortly afterwards, he…
Most of us live, right now, in a world of storms. Never in history has the human being been under so much pressure from so many directions all at once. The world seems to be on fire as political systems are rocked, and new conflicts and wars are breaking out… The individual person is put…
Pope Francis has recently urged priests to keep their homilies short, suggesting a maximum of ten minutes to ensure their message is clear. Speaking during a General Audience, the pontiff said, “After 8 minutes, preaching gets dispersive and no one understands. Never go over 10 minutes, ever! This is very important.” In response, three Irish…
The community of Abbeyside, Co. Waterford, has come together to save the ancient Bell Tower of St Augustine’s Church, which has stood on the edge of Dungarvan Harbour since 1450. Water seeping into the 574-year-old tower threatened its structural integrity, leaving parishioners and parish priest Fr Ned Hassett facing a €70,000 repair bill. Fr Hassett…
Youth 2000 recently celebrated their National Christmas Retreat at the Dominican College, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, with 520 young people aged 18 to 35 attending. The weekend featured workshops by Holy Family Mission, NET Ministries, and Pure in Heart, along with talks on topics like The Creed by Fr Stephen Kennedy. “The women’s vocation workshop was…
The Veritas shop in Letterkenny is set to close its doors this week, bringing an emotional end to an institution that has served the faith community in Donegal for decades. A special Mass of thanksgiving was held to commemorate the shop’s contribution to the Diocese of Raphoe, with former Bishop Philip Boyce paying tribute to…
Christ is the Word of God in Scripture. God speaks to us in words to reveal Himself to us. Through all the words of Sacred Scripture, God speaks only one single Word, one speech. God inspired the human authors of the sacred books, but He is the author of them. The Church has always venerated…