Two well-known religious centres in Dublin, the Emmaus Centre in Swords and St Peregrine’s oratory in Rathfarnham shopping centre, have been “forced to close” due to the effects of lockdown. The Emmaus Centre, run by the Christian Brothers, provided facilities for human, spiritual and religious development for over 40 years to school children, religious and…
More than €65,000 has been donated by Irish members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (OHS) to Christians in the Holy Land. The livelihoods of Holy Land Christians have been devasted by Covid-19, leaving them heavily reliant on charitable aid, according to the OHS, an order dedicated to the Holy Land. Following an appeal…
Figures from the Department of Health show that while there were 7,536 initial consultations for aborting a pregnancy, 6,666 abortions actually took place. The Department released the figures following a recent parliamentary question from TD Carol Nolan. Ms Nolan said that the figures show that many women have not “bought into” the efforts to normalise…
Heavily reliant on the tourism industry, Covid-19 threatens the livelihoods of many Christians in the Holy Land, writes Ruadhán Jones On February 6 of this year, in complete innocence of what was to come, The Irish Catholic announced our annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land – the name typically applied to an area comprising Israel,…
If you’ve been to LA, you’re bound to have met them – clean-shaven, young, wearing a neat suit or a business dress – the friendly face of the controversial entity that is the Church of Scientology. The organisation has had a presence in Ireland since 1957, but it’s only recently that they have attempted to…
The community of Carrick-on-suir, Co. Tipperary, were “thrilled” as local Sam Bennett became the first Irishman to win a major jersey at the Tour de France since 1989. The 29-year-old beat off a challenge from world champion Mads Pedersen to secure victory on the final stage of the Tour de France, having already claimed the…
TD Peadar Tóibín has criticised the Government for “dragging its feet” over a “black-and-white” case of injustice after a child was aborted last year following a false diagnosis. In March last year, a family was told that their unborn child had a fatal foetal abnormality by a member of staff at the National Maternity Hospital.…
World Missions Ireland (WMI) are appealing for donations to support the “life-giving work of missionaries” as Covid-19 threatens their main fundraising event. The annual World Mission Sunday (WMS) collection takes place around the world, but church closures and recessions could mean a significant reduction in donations, said Fr Michael O’Sullivan, national director of WMI. “As…
The report comes as criticisms of Disney bring Chinese cruelties to the fore again, writes Ruadhán Jones Near the end of a long list of credits is an obscure, seemingly inconsequential thank-you from Disney to the “Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Committee”. Already alarm bells should be ringing. Xinjiang…
Making lunch enjoyable and healthy is a worthwhile challenge writes Ruadhán Jones It can be tempting to bow to our kids desire for a steady crisp and sweet supply, especially given the unusual back-to-school circumstances. Equally, it can be hard to imagine sending them off with a lunch box full of ‘rabbit food’, also known…