A Catholic schools’ body has promised “substantial” resources for sexual education in secondary schools, as the Minister for Education has signed off on the specifications for a controversial new curriculum. Parents have expressed concerns over the new relationship and sexual education (RSE) curriculum over fears that it will promote teachings around sexuality and gender identity…
Irish music legend Dana Rosemary Scallan – who has just recorded a new song for St Patrick – has opened up about her own lack of faith as a teenager, before she found God. Ireland’s first Eurovision winner and co-creator of the hymn, Our Lady of Knock admitted in podcast Off Grid Christianity she did…
A copy of The Irish Catholic was among the gifts laid on the coffin of Teresa McCallan, described as a devoted reader by one of her daughters. “The same paper had to be got every week and now I’ve carried on the tradition,” Margaret Moxon, daughter of Mrs McCallan, told The Irish Catholic. “I’d only…
There are, to my mind, two great Jane Austen adaptations. One, the 1990s miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, I think many will know already and it’s available on Netflix. The second adaptation is less well known, a 1995 TV film version of Persuasion, Jane Austen’s last novel. It’s a wonderful film, as different from the…
A high-level Vatican meeting hopes to end protests and brawls over liturgy changes in India, writes Ruadhán Jones When we describe fiesty debate over liturgical practices as ‘the liturgy wars’, we tend to mean a battle of words. But in one of the Church’s 23 self-governing Eastern Churches – the Syro-Malabar Church – protests over…
Knock Shrine’s basilica was full with young people as they attended the Donal Walsh day on Thursday, May 11. The day marked the 10th anniversary of the Kerry teenager’s death after a battle with cancer. Donal Walsh touched many lives through his writings, public appearances and fundraising, and the foundation named after him continues to…
A new book highlights the surprising ways Jesus shapes our most popular films and books, writes Ruadhán Jones It may seem unlikely, but Jesus and the comic book character Batman do have something in common, and something quite integral too. In order to save the world, both must make sacrifices to overcome ‘the monster’. The…
The loss of thousands of jobs from Ireland’s tourism sector is “very frightening” for families and communities, mostly rural and coastal, who are very reliant on the sector for jobs and income, parishes have warned. The warning comes after the Government estimated 10,000 jobs were lost due to the lack of hotel accommodation for tourists…
Claims that the Vatican’s chief safeguarding body is experiencing “growing pains” as it develops a new methodology have been knocked down by a former member and survivor of clerical abuse. No one knows what the Commission for the Protection of Minors is doing, who is driving change and where financing is coming from because “it’s…
Almost half of Irish adults interact with charities through attending a religious service, a new study from the Irish Charities Regulator shows. At 47% of Irish adults, attending a religious service is second only to buying from a charity store (54%) for involvement with charitable organisations, research from Amárach released Tuesday shows. People over 55…