Dublin priest Fr Hugh O’Connell has said Ven. Matt Talbot is “already a saint” and called on Irish people to recognise his holiness. Quoting Talbot’s biographer Mary Purcell, Fr O’Donnell said “saints are saints not because of the official proclamation, but because they are holy”. “As far as I’m concerned, he is a saint,” Fr…
Downplaying committed relationships and fidelity in favour of “the right to choose” comes at a great cost for the young and the fragile, says Bishop McKeown. Reflecting on the parable of the wheat and the weeds, Bishop McKeown said it offers us material from which we can “speak into society”. “Political discourse has so often…
The Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin has seen an increase in the numbers using their takeaway service, with more than 2,000 meals distributed every day. The staff and volunteers have worked hard to fulfil their motto, “no one goes hungry”, as people in need arrive from early in the morning. “We feed around 200 people…
Senator Ronan Mullen has questioned the new Minister for Children’s call to allow u16s to change their gender, saying it must be about children’s welfare not media campaigns. Senator Mullen told The Irish Catholic that “there should be no change in this area without a public debate and careful scrutiny of the issues in the Dáil and Seanad.”…
As face coverings become mandatory in shops and public transport, Ruadhán Jones delves into the science on why they work and how to use them Ireland has come quite late to the face-mask game, but as the threat of a second wave remains and a vaccine still appears to be far away, the Government has…
A Derry parish has suspended Mass after two parishioners tested positive for coronavirus having attending a family gathering. Fr Neil Farren of Ardmore parish announced the “sad news” in a video on the parish Facebook page. Speaking in the video, Fr Farren said: “I have sad news to relate to you at this time. We…
Personal Profile Fr Paddy Kelly CSsR always wanted to be a priest and 50 years on he’s still itching to get to work once the lockdown ends. Much of those 50 years Redemptorist Fr Kelly devoted to ministering with Ireland’s traveller community, for whom he has worked tirelessly. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, he said that…
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has assured the Minister for Education that schools under his patronage will meet “urgent provision” for units for autistic students, following a Government letter. Former Minister Joe McHugh sent a letter instructing 36 Catholic schools on the southside of the city to open special classes this September for students with autism. Archbishop…
Prof. Patricia Casey has described as “ludicrous” new plans by the Minister for Children to legalise the self-declaration of gender for children, and called for a proper, open debate on the issue. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Prof. Casey said that “it’s ludicrous to be giving the choice of such a momentous procedure to children and…
Free speech specialist and lawyer Ivan Hare has attacked proposals which could “suppress expression which is at the heart of political debate” in the North. The proposals are set out in a recent review of the region’s ‘hate crime’ laws, spearheaded by Judge Desmond Marrinan. Mr Hare wrote in an article for The Christian Institute that proposals…