Dwindling vocations and an aging sisterhood has lead to the closure of St Joseph’s Carmelite convent in Loughrea, Co. Galway, founded 1680. Of the five remaining sisters there, three will join the Carmelite convent in New Ross, Wexford, one will go to Dublin and one will return to her country of origin, the Philippines. Speaking…
Almost 300 healthcare workers signed an open letter to the Minister of Health rejecting the legalisation of ‘at-home’ abortions in Northern Ireland. The 277 healthcare workers drafted the letter following a campaign by abortion advocates for the provision of over-the-phone abortion services. The letter demands better care for women and children than “unsafe and unacceptable…
The Passionist Fathers are to commemorate the 300th anniversary of their founding with a jubilee celebration beginning November 22.
Pope Francis called Catholics to follow Mary in “putting our life in the Lord’s hands” with humility and trust, at his weekly general audience. Continuing his series of audience talks about prayer, Pope Francis reflected on Mary as a model of prayer. “There is no better way to pray than to place oneself like Mary…
A group representing Christian ministers across the country say it is hopeful of a return to public worship in early December. Irish Church Together was amongst a wide group of faith representatives who met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday (Tuesday) to press for a return to communal celebrations when restrictions go to level three. Paddy…
A proposal to apply VAT to devotional candles has been described as effectively “a tax on prayer”. The 2020 Finance Bill proposes to remove a historical protection on white candles which, according to Fr John Carroll of the Ferns Diocese, is akin to taxing “counselling or stress” given the solace many people feel lighting a…
Superstition to many, but the Church recognises our connection with the dead, writes Ruadhán Jones At the beginning of November, the liturgical calendar turns our minds heavenward with the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. As many of our pagan ancestors did, we take the time to commemorate, pray for and commune with the…
Bishop Kevin Doran has criticised the “narrow circumscription” of priests’ public ministry under the current travel regulations. The regulations mean that pizza deliverers and bicycle engineers have more freedom to work than priests, the bishop of Elphin said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Bishop Doran said that there’s an assumption that all priests do is…
The redevelopment of the first convent founded by Presentation Sisters’ founder Nano Nagle has won the Urban Design award in a prestigious national competition. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland gave the award, describing the South Presentation convent in Cork City as “an exemplary urban renewal project”. The project, completed in 2017, Nano…
The 4 Corners Festival have announced that their ninth annual gathering will take place online from 31 Jan–7 Feb 2021. The theme will be ‘Breathe’, “emanating from the Hebrew word Ruach which means ‘breath’ or ‘spirit’ – the source of life, inspired by the numerous appearances of that word in the Bible,” according to a…