The creator of popular prayer app Universalis tells Ruadhán Jones about the power of the creed We repeat the creed every week at Mass, but do we understand the full implications of what we’re saying? Martin Kochanski, creator of popular prayer app Universalis, believes that we don’t. Outrageous claims In his new book The Creed…
Abortion figures for 2021 show the number of abortions in Ireland is at almost 20,000 in three years, writes Ruadhán Jones Figures released by the Department of Health last week revealed that around 6,700 abortions took place in Ireland in 2021, bringing the total number to almost 20,000 since abortion was introduced three years ago.…
New discipleship programme in Westmeath A new young adult faith formation programme is due to open at the Céilí Catholic community centre, Co. Westmeath, in September 2022. The residential programme of formation in Evangelisation and Missionary Discipleship is being offered to Catholic young adults, 18 years and over, who would spend nine months living in…
Parishioners will have to get used to laypeople leading burials and other funeral liturgies due to the shortage of priests under new plans unveiled by Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy. With few ordinations and an aging clergy, laypeople will become a key part of the jigsaw in providing ceremonies for grieving families Bishop Leahy told…
The pace of the Irish Government’s response to religious orders wanting to donate land for housing “doesn’t match what is wanted in a crisis”, Sophia Housing have said. Tony O’Riordan, CEO of the charity that helps religious orders to donate land for housing, told The Irish Catholic that orders show “extraordinary” generosity and good will,…
Better faith formation and more investment in lay ministries is needed as a “top priority” in Dublin Diocese parishes have said. All 197 parishes around Ireland’s largest diocese have been meeting over the past month as part of the ‘Building Hope’ report, to discuss the rationalisation of resources and new parish partnerships. As part of…
Senator Sharon Keogan has criticised an Oireachtas report that calls for Ireland to regulate international surrogacy, calling it “biased”. The Joint Committee on International Surrogacy recommended that an existing bill, the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022, be amended to include international surrogacy. The committee added that the commissioning parents should be allowed to apply…
The Church in Ireland has given great welcome to refugees, the Ukrainian apostolic visitor to Ireland tells Ruadhán Jones Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, recently appointed by Pope Francis as apostolic visitor to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community in Ireland, has visited the country twice. The first time was in the 1990s – the second time was…
The Knights of St Columbanus and the Order of the Holy Sepulchre took part in the annual procession of the relics of St Oliver Plunkett which took place in Drogheda July 3. The procession, marched through the Co. Louth town from the Holy Family Church, Ballsgrove, to St Peter’s Church for Mass at 4pm. The…
The Ukrainian community in Ireland has praised the “outstanding” welcome they have received from Irish parishes, as the Church considers establishing mission communities to care for the influx of refugees. There is a “huge demand for pastoral care” from the almost 40,000 refugees from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the chaplain to Ireland’s Ukrainian Catholic parish…