The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has announced the election of long-time member Rose McGowan as its new National President. Ms McGowan succeeds Kieran Stafford, whose three-year term ended on August 31. From Dublin, Ms McGowan has been a member of the SVP from her schooldays, when she began visiting with the Society in…
Donations remained strong in 2019, but the effects of Covid-19 cast a shadow over the future, writes Ruadhán Jones On the surface of it, the annual report for 2019/20 from Trócaire is a positive one, in so far as these ever are. However, the arrival of Covid-19 hangs as a cloud over both fundraising and development…
A number TDs have said proposers of the ‘Dying with Dignity Bill’ are “profoundly unaware of the overwhelmingly negative impact” of euthanasia laws. The bill, proposed by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, seeks to legalise the practice of assisted suicide in Ireland. Independent TD Carol told The Irish Catholic that the bill is “manipulative” and provides…
Ruadhán Jones explains how to make the most of autumn fruits Every self-respecting Irish recipe book has its own spin on apple tart. Some proclaim the wondrous effects of brown sugar, others call for no sugar at all! It’s an Irish staple and for good reason – Ireland has a climate ideally suited to autumn…
The Government’s six-month Covid-19 plan, announced on Tuesday, proposes bans on all religious services except funerals and weddings for level three warnings upward. The country is currently at a level two warning, the maximum being five, which means religious services can take place with up to 50 people attending. The plan recognises the need to…
A new Irish podcast hopes to reinvigorate men’s Faith – Ruadhán Jones speaks to some ‘Holy Joes’ about their popular recordings Three Catholic dads are looking to fill the gap in the Irish Church, providing a faith-filled podcast for Catholic men writes Ruadhán Jones The Irish are some of the most avid consumers of podcasts…
Jason Osborne discusses the benefits of getting on your bike With Ireland returning to ever-greater levels of normality despite the ongoing presence of the coronavirus, the issue of the daily commute is beginning to rear its head again, albeit in a different way. With children and teenagers returning to schools and students preparing to return to colleges…
The case of the mistaken baptism is a reminder of the Sacraments’ centrality writes Ruadhán Jones It’s not often that an apparently obscure verdict on a question of Catholic doctrine has especially dramatic effects. When the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) announced that baptisms where the deacon or priest said “we” instead…
Despite the challenges, returning to the classroom is the right thing for children writes Ruadhán Jones It’s difficult to gauge the impact Covid-19 has had on young people, but the likelihood is that it will not be positive. While the physical threat the virus poses children is slim, the effects on mental health and wellbeing…
Teachers look forward to meeting pupils’ needs in very difficult times Following a summer of hope and hard work, management and staff at Catholic schools look forward to welcoming back students after an “extraordinary” effort to reopen schools. Primary and secondary schools are set to reopen at full capacity over the next two weeks…