In the annual Newman Lecture, Prof. William Cavanaugh teased out the religious element at the heart of the West, December 7. Speaking in Newman University Church, St Stephen’s Green, Prof. Cavanagh’s talk focused on ‘the Enchantment of the Secular’. The American professor showed that “religious” and “secular” people have more in common than is commonly…
Family Solidarity criticises ‘disappointing’ synodal pathway The Irish national synodal synthesis “does not represent us and it does not represent what we have heard at the meetings in our parishes”, Irish family advocacy group Family Solidarity has written in an open letter to Ireland’s bishops. “After a year, we must admit that both the process…
For 50 years Rena Kennelly has brought joy to Killarney’s children by curating the crib, Ruadhán Jones hears Earlier this year, Killarney-based great-grandmother Rena Kennelly was surprised to receive an award from the Pope. Pope Francis awarded her the Benemerenti medal in honour of her 50 years curating the crib at St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney,…
Catholic schools have dominated a poll of top performing schools in the North, taking the top three spots and five out of the top 10. St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt, Co. Derry, took top spot for the second year running in the 30th edition of The Sunday Times ‘Parent Power’ poll, which identifies the highest-achieving…
We will always need “good and holy priests”, the head of the bishops’ council for vocations has said, adding that the lay ministry is not a solution to the vocations crisis. The national synodal synthesis came across as proposing the lay ministry as the “solution to the whole question” of priest shortages, said Bishop Alphonsus…
It delights me that Babette’s Feast is one of Pope Francis’ favourite films. It is a lovely film and quite subtle, deserving much more than the small, but devoted following it had previously. Set in a small community in Denmark, with its particular virtues and expectations, it is about how these can both elevate and…
Loretta Brennan Glucksman, whose philanthropic efforts on behalf of charities and educational institutions has spanned three decades, received the 2022 Spirit of Francis Award from Catholic Extension in New York. The native New Yorker was honoured for work in education, the arts, health care and peace initiatives in the United States and Ireland. In presenting…
David Goodwin tells Ruadhán Jones what it’s like to be a Catholic ice hockey player There’s a stereotype about ice hockey that it’s a physically demanding game and occasionally violent. “I would say the stereotype is accurate,” David Goodwin tells me. He adds the caveat that it’s not much more so than Gaelic football. All…
One in 23 will need humanitarian assistance in 2023 One person in every 23, a total of 339 million people globally, will require some form of assistance in 2023, Irish charity Concern Worldwide have warned. The last year has been “devastating” for vulnerable and poorer communities around the world, with a 24% increase in the…
As parishes struggle to re-engage communities after the forced closure of churches during Covid-19 lockdowns, Bishop Tom Deenihan has said Christmas is a time to invite people who may have stopped coming back to the weekly worship. His comments come as Church leaders are increasingly concerned with a drop of as much as 50% in…