“Intolerant secularising forces” want to remove Christianity from the public sphere, particularly education, Bishop Donal McKeown warned in his Easter homily. The bishop of Derry said that the “new intolerant secular dogma” wants to portray Christianity as an evil force. “All sorts of agendas insist that faith is a conduit of culturally unacceptable teachings for…
Aidan Moffitt was remembered as a man of “strong faith”, while Michael Snee was described as having a “heart filled with love” by the priests officiating their funerals. Mr Moffitt’s (41) funeral Mass took place April 12 in the Church of Christ the King, Lisacul, Co. Roscommon, while Mr Snee’s (58) funeral was at St…
Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages by Holly Ordway (Word on Fire Academic, €25.00 / £20.99) There is a widespread belief that JRR Tolkien, the famous Catholic author of The Lord of the Rings, was against all things modern. Whether it was industrialisation, morals or literature, the narrative goes that he gave credence to…
The diocese of Down and Connor hosted a ‘Fish on Friday’ gathering in Stormont with people from parishes and other churches and organisations to encourage a synodal dialogue. Participants came together April 8 to enjoy fish and chips and a cup of tea, and to talk together “about the mobilising the Church as a force…
Personal Profile Ruth Hogan grew up in a family that was both musical and Catholic, but it took some time for both these childhood realities to find their home in her life. After spending time in the Holy Family Mission and giving retreats herself, she realised that music is a gift God gave her to…
The Catholic Chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast marked 50 years of its presence at the chaplaincy’s iconic site situated at the heart of the Queen’s campus, Friday April 8. All gathered in the University’s Great Hall were treated to a rich programme of art, poetry and music, much of which was performed by current students…
Irish charity Sophia Housing hosted an event in the Royal Marin Hotel Dun Laoghaire to thank religious congregations for their work in tackling the housing crisis. Since its foundation in 1997, Sophia has acted as a conduit for orders to who make lands and property available to be converted into homes. Speaking at the April…
While religious orders often get a bad press, The Irish Catholic can reveal that the same congregations are quietly housing hundreds of people who would otherwise be homeless as the Government continues to struggle to come to terms with the accommodation emergency. Religious orders in Ireland have “unlocked the barriers” to housing for many families…
Aontú is committed to being a “voice for the voiceless” including Catholic and Irish language schools, East Derry candidate Gemma Brolly said. Ms Brolly called the emphasis on integrated education “a distraction” from the education crisis. “I feel that people don’t realise the emergency that our education system is in,” Ms Brolly, who is also…
Fr Martin Magill said the issue of paramilitary style attacks such as beatings, shootings and assaults are an urgent human need that parties must commit to dealing with. Speaking ahead of the North’s election, Fr Magill warned that if the attacks continue and “if people do not see real improvement, it is inevitable that they…