Faith in Film The Oscar’s ‘best picture’ for 1954, On the Waterfront, is probably best remembered for Marlon Brando’s ground-breaking performance. His visceral but measured portrayal of a sensitive ex-prize fighter deserves all its acclaim. What’s less well known is that the film was at least partly based on the life of a real priest…
The government in Honduras is “a disaster”, plagued by infighting and corruption, an Irish missionary bishop has warned. The Church is a lonely voice of stability and justice in the Central American country, Bishop Michael Lenihan OFM told The Irish Catholic. The Limerick-born bishop was speaking ahead of taking up his role as archbishop of…
The Church in Honduras faces many challenges, Bishop Michael Lenihan OFM tells Ruadhán Jones It came as quite a shock to Limerick-born Bishop Michael Lenihan OFM when he got a call from the papal nuncio telling him he would be Honduras’ newest archbishop. “It came out of the blue completely,” he tells me over the…
We are writing the history of women out by ignoring convent buildings, Dr Gillian O’Brien tells Ruadhán Jones Last week, the front page of The Irish Catholic blazoned a tragic tale of decline in the number of women religious in Ireland. We had the figures, but while that story was going to print, another real-life…
Sisters of St Clare to leave Kenmare The Sisters of St Clare order are to leave Kenmare, Co. Kerry, after more than 160 years due to declining numbers. In a letter read out to parishioners on Sunday, February 12, the sisters said they “regrettably” couldn’t maintain a presence in the town. “As a congregation, we…
The future of religious life in Ireland is at a “turning point” as the number of women religious on the island of Ireland has halved in the last 20 years. There were 9,031 women religious on the island of Ireland at the turn of the millennium, but in the last 20 years that has declined…
Former Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman Baroness Nuala O’Loan has called for an inquiry into the Omagh Bombing in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Ms O’Loan said that there can be “absolutely no doubt” that a full public inquiry in Ireland “is a necessary complement to the UK inquiry” announced two weeks ago.…
Many religious sisters continue to do quiet and heroic work. Who will take up the challenge when they’re no longer able, asks Ruadhán Jones As we endure yet another winter where our hospitals seem to be in a permanent crisis mode, ask any person of a particular age about the time when religious orders were…
Clonfert diocese has opened a consultation on the future of Catholic secondary level education in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. The consultation reflects the “rapidly changing education landscape” and has “no pre-determined outcome”, the diocese said in a statement. Second level education in Ballinasloe is currently provided by two schools under the patronage of Clonfert and CEIST…
In a 2000s poll, the British Film Institute canvassed film and TV professionals to find the 100 best English TV series. At number 10, the highest ranked TV Mini-series, was a famous adaptation of Brideshead Revisited. The classic book by Catholic author Evelyn Waugh became a classic series, beloved by audiences, critics – and even…