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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
Three schools in Raheny are to stay under Catholic patronage after heated debate in the North Dublin community, and despite the lobbying of a local TD. The three schools took part in a pilot scheme that investigated local interest for divestment, but Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed they were “not amenable to or potential…
A proposed change to traffic access on a bus route in Rathmines will be a “a disaster” for elderly parishioners and those with mobility issues, the parish priest has warned. A ‘bus gate’ – a length of road open only to busses, taxis and cyclists – outside Rathmines parish church would be “a disaster” and…
Catholic and Protestant schools’ bodies in the North have expressed “deep disappointment” at cuts to shared education initiatives, despite their “clear benefits”. Shared education projects bring staff and pupils from different religious backgrounds together on a regular basis, but funding will be halved this year and cease entirely from 2024 under Stormont’s 2023-24 budget. The…
Cork diocese gathers to discuss future The Faithful of Cork and Ross will gather to discuss the diocese’s future reorganisation over Pentecost weekend, with Bishop Fintan Gavin saying closer collaboration between laity and clergy is needed. Bishop Gavin has invited Julian Stanz, a married woman and mother of three, to lead two gatherings where she…
Staff at the country’s largest Catholic university Mary Immaculate College in Limerick say they feel “very much in the dark” over a dialogue that could see the institution further aligned with the secular University of Limerick (UL). Fears have been expressed in the past that any move on the future of the college could dilute…