Catholic comedian Jeremy McLellan tells Ruadhán Jones about the importance of insults, making Catholics laugh and more Every religion loves a good conversion story, American comedian Jeremy McLellan tells me towards the end of our talk. While he wasn’t referring to himself, his own conversion experience is an interesting one. Born to a strict Presbyterian…
Church leaders in the Holy Land are pleading for action to stop what they describe as a “systematic attempt to drive the Christian community out of Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land”. In a pre-Christmas plea, the leaders – representing all the main Christian traditions in the Holy Land – call on local…
The Irish bishops’ council for catechetics has launched a new religious education programme to “foster religious literacy” in Catholic secondary schools. The ‘Credible Catholic’ programme is aimed at senior-cycle non-exam RE, having been designed in line with feedback from teachers and theological advisors in Ireland, a press statement from the council said. Drawing on an…
Francis Brennan tells Ruadhán Jones about the excitement of Christmas and his faith Ever charming and chatty, the hotelier and popular TV personality Francis Brennan is also a man of sincere Faith, in his own mould. Well known for his meticulous attention to detail and his precise personal habits, he opened up on how his…
Personal Profile Sr Ursula Sharpe, recently elected congregational leader for the Medical Missionaries of Mary, has spent the entirety of her vocation dedicating her life to those on the margins. Whether in leadership or on the missions, she knows that her vocation must be about people. For a time, the Sharpe family was based in…
Missionary orders fear that a number of their foreign-born missionaries based in Ireland could have to leave next year due to “disruptive” delays in their visas being renewed by the Department of Justice. The ‘Minister of Religion visa’ has to be renewed every three years, but the process is taking up to 12 months, missionary…
Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown celebrated Mass in Long Tower Church, Derry, to mark 1,500 years since the birth of famous Irish saint, St Columba. Born in 521, the saint, warrior and poet – also known as Colmcille – was integral to the development of the early Church in Ireland. At the end of the…
The Pro Life Campaign has criticised the Minister for Health’s statements Wednesday outlining the scope of the three-year review of the abortion law, saying he is approaching it with a view to “radically expanding” terminations.
Frank Duff – Celebrating his life and legacy Frank Duff valued the virtue of reliability above all others, writes Ruadhán Jones Unique; courageous; friendly; loving; reliable. Read this list, and consider which of these you would like to be remembered by. They are none of them bad things. No doubt the glamour of courage or…
Legion of Mary president Mary Murphy tells Ruadhán Jones about the Legion’s growth and desire to convert the world The Legion of Mary’s beginnings were, as founder Frank Duff put it himself, quite inconspicuous. A small group including Duff gathered on September 7, 1921, in Myra House on Francis St, the date which marks the…