St Saviour’s Church in Dublin saw long queues for confession as preparation for public Masses continue, Fr Conor McDonough OP has told The Irish Catholic. “The attendance has been really impressive, with the (socially distanced!) queue sometimes stretching well up the street,” said Fr McDonough. “It’s not just Penney’s that’s drawing the crowds, the Lord is…
The Irish Bishops have withdrawn 78 schools from the first phase of the state’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) over fears they could be sued, The Irish Catholic understands. The schools, as well as other buildings such as libraries and GAA clubhouses, were to act as broadband connection points (BCPs), providing hubs of high-speed broadband for local communities. The hubs were to be an…
We are facing a period of new poverties as we come out of lockdown, of economics, of education and of hope, said Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry. “In a society with huge gaps between the well-off and the poor, an economic downturn first strikes the weakest and those who were hanging on by their fingertips,”…
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has criticised the “flagrant mistreatment of childcare providers” by Minister Katherine Zappone. In a recent statement, TD Tóibín suggested that the actions of her department threatens the childcare sector as a whole. “Minister Zappone pledged that in addition to the 70% wage subsidy, the Department for Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) would…
Without a consistent routine, we may be eating more than usual or finding it difficult to think of what to cook writes Ruadhán Jones What’s for dinner, when can we eat, can I have snack now – all these questions have piled on top of us during lockdown. Many are cooking regularly for children and…
Personal Profile Father of six, co-ordinator of Síolta Retreats and co-founder of charity Another Pair of Hands, faith and good works has always been central to Armagh man Bosco McShane. “Faith was always a big part of my life,” Bosco said to The Irish Catholic. “A big influence on my life was Mother Teresa and…
As borders reopen across Europe, Niall Glynn of Marian Pilgrimages is “cautiously optimistic” that pilgrimages can begin in late July or early August. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Mr Glynn said that they will be looking at restarting pilgrimages on a shrine-by-shrine basis. “We’re cautiously optimistic,” he said. “A lot of it will come down to requirements, procedures and policies in the…
The pandemic is a monolithic event, yet its effects differ from person to person writes Ruadhán Jones The pandemic has resulted in far reaching, monolithic difficulties for us all. It has reminded us that we are not invincible, that we are, in fact, incredibly frail beings. However, it has also underlined our common humanity, as…
Companies operating in Ireland must end the use of child labour in supply chains, said the Cathaoirleach of Ógra Aontú. Speaking on the International Day Against Child Labour, Ben Conroy said “child labour is modern slavery, and our global companies in our society still rely on it”. “At a time in which people are becoming increasingly…
Parishes need “practical advice” from bishops to help with “complex process” of opening churches, said Fr Aquinas Duffy of Cabinteely parish. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Duffy praised the recent framework document published by the Irish bishops, but said that it provided more questions than answers at this point. “They bishops are doing what they…
