Personal Profile “There is great joy and fulfilment in being interested in and touching the lives of other people in some small way, however small. ‘It is in giving that we receive’,” says Anita McTernan, a volunteer nurse in a Sisters of Mercy, Mission Hospital in Mutomo, Kenya. Anita is not a Sister of…
A 12-year-old boy from Co Tyrone has collected over 400 chocolate Easter eggs for sick children in hospital. Corin Kelly Herron, from Strabane began collecting eggs several weeks ago, his mother Nadine Kelly said: “It started off he was happy to get 30 eggs for a children’s ward in Derry.” He has now collected over…
Birney has always loved painting. Since she was young, she recalls feeling excited in the art section of a shop and asking for paints for Christmas. “Every Christmas my Santa letters would have been paints and brushes and art stuff,” she tells The Irish Catholic. Just recently Brigid’s work was beamed up onto the front…
The Christian homeless charity DePaul helped over 300 people exit direct provision centres in 2019. Through their Cosán Nua or ‘New Path’ service they helped 300 struggling households, moved 132 households into independent living and aided 328 people exiting Direct Provision centres, including 168 adults and 160 children. Sibusiso Lowrene, a single mother with two young…
Iona Institute has called for more childcare services to be provided for parents who wish to work part-time. This comes after an international survey has shown that 61% of women would prefer to work part-time if given the chance. “For people who are balancing home duties with part time work often, it’s the lower paid…
The chaplain of University College Dublin (UCD) has said action needs to be taken as the Students Union (SU) protest a rent hike in campus accommodation. Fr Leon Ó Giolláin SJ said on the cost of accommodation for students: “I’ve met that myself directly, just students not being able to find accommodation close enough to…
A Church academic has said historians are not expecting a ‘smoking gun’ from the Pope Pius XII ‘secret’ archives. The archives were opened to scholars on Monday who will likely take time to examine the documents. Pius XII has been accused a number of times of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust in 1963…
St Patrick, the most famous of the Patron Saints of Ireland worldwide. Not quite hailing from Ireland himself but from the United Kingdom, he is credited with driving the ‘snakes’ out of Ireland. Or bringing Christianity to the Island and pushing out Paganism if you’d like to be more literal. One might wonder if he…
Catholic Bishops of Northern Ireland have stated Accord should not have to provide marriage related services to those contracting in same-sex marriage. Accord told this paper (IC 13/02/20) that they would not turn away any person from their counselling services if they came to seek help. The bishop’s response to the Northern Ireland Office Consultation…
Patricia Friel always had a want to help people. From her home town of Ramelton to where she lives now in Cavan, she has ended up having a positive impact in those close to home and in faraway lands. Now the executive director of Mary’s Meals in Ireland, she works full time at ensuring young…