A parish in Kerry diocese is facing a bill of €100,000 for restorations and has released a plea to former parishioners and descendants of the parish to offer their support. The Sacred Heart Church in Glengarriff, Co. Cork, is “at the heart of our parish”, Fr Niall Howard told The Irish Catholic, adding it is…
War in Ukraine can be stopped in a day says chaplain in Ireland
The war in Ukraine “can be stopped in a day”, just as the Soviet Union fell in three days, a chaplain to Ukrainian Catholics in Ireland has said. Giving hope to those who fled the war in Ukraine “is very, very challenging”, Fr Vasyl Kornitsky has said, but warned that despair is “a very dangerous…
Charity overcomes prejudice in a classic western
Faith in film What’s a western doing on a Vatican film list? A genre that typically praises the triumph of individualism and a non-conformist Protestant culture might seem ‘anathema’. But Stetsons, stoic heroes, fantastic landscapes and engaging action have some Vatican sanction with its inclusion of the iconic western Stagecoach (1939) on a 1995 list…
Irish nun can’t go home over kidnapping fears
A volatile situation in Cameroon means an Irish nun cannot visit her family, Ruadhán Jones hears. Sr Angèle Nkamsi MSHR, an Irish citizen since 2013, cannot visit her home in Cameroon due to the volatile political situation in the country, she told The Irish Catholic. The last time the Holy Rosary sister visited Cameroon in…
Warning political vacuum leaves young people ‘cannon fodder’ for paramilitaries
Paramilitary-style groups use the “romantic perspective” of past violence to “radicalise and divide society so people can stay in positions of powers,” a Belfast youth worker has said. However, Mr Stephan Hughes warned that it is not just paramilitaries who are the problem, saying it is also “politicians who cosy up to these people, get…
Union leaders to keep raising staff concerns at Mary Immaculate
Leaders of a university teachers’ union are to raise concerns with Mary Immaculate College (MIC) authorities after this newspaper revealed that staff feel they are being kept “in the dark” over a historic alignment process with another college. A spokesperson for the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) said the body “intend to discuss the…
Non-payment for Baptisms, weddings ‘not fair’ on regular parishioners
People not expecting to pay a donation for Baptisms and weddings is “not fair” on parishioners who regularly support their local church, priests have said. It is “common sense” that parish churches need financial assistance to survive, said Fr Michael Toomey, saying people forget “you have to heat and light and insure the church”. Parishioners…
Govt must learn from Inch protests says Bishop Monahan
The Government has to learn from the protests in Inch, Co. Clare, regarding housing of refugees in the area, Bishop Fintan Monahan has said. Bishop Monahan visited the town and met with protestors and refugees after controversy erupted over a barricade that blocked refugees from being housed in a former hotel. He said there’s learning…
Legalising euthanasia will harm vulnerable and erode trust, palliative carers warn
The Irish Association of Palliative Carers (IAPC) has called for assisted suicide legislation to be rejected as legalisation will harm the rights of vulnerable people and erode trust between doctors and patients. Their call comes as a Dáil committee discusses proposed ‘Dying with Dignity’ legislation, which seeks to mandate healthcare professionals to perform assisted suicide.…
Armagh pilgrims flock to Lourdes
Pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Armagh flocked to Lourdes Marian Shrine for their annual pilgrimage from Wednesday May 24 to Saturday 27. Bishop Michael Router accompanied the pilgrims for their week of prayer and healing at the famous shrine in southwestern France. While heavy rain spoiled the chances for the torchlit procession, it didn’t dampen…