This Sunday August 15 – the Solemnity of the Assumption – a Eurovision Mass will be celebrated and broadcast live from Knock Basilica on RTÉ One at 11am. The main celebrant will be Fr Richard Gibbons, PP and Rector of Knock Shrine. The liturgy will feature music by the Schola Cantorum Basilicae under the direction…
At just 23, Luke-Peter Silke leads a very busy life. As well as studying Creative Writing in university, he is the secretarial assistant to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, a local representative for the same party and is active among many of the pro-life organisations around the country. Mr Silke believes it’s important that Catholic values…
Two major United Nations’ conferences on climate change are taking place in Autumn 2021. The first one, on biodiversity, takes place in early October in China. The second, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) takes place in Scotland in November, with Pope Francis in attendance. The Pope has frequently expressed the importance of care for…
This year is the third in a row that Youth 2000’s summer festival will be online. But while the traditional residential retreat isn’t possible, the organisers are working hard to bring young people together “who love the Lord, who love the faith, who love the Church”, the national director of Youth 2000 tells me. Confession…
The Covid-19 pandemic has become a monolith in our minds, spreading like a blanket over the entire globe. But its smothering embrace is not as uniform as we might think. Each country and region faces its own, unique challenges. I spoke to missionaries in Taiwan, Cambodia and Uganda about their experiences, which were a mix…
The Irish Catholic understands that bishops in Dublin and Cork have assured Latin Mass communities that nothing will change following recent reforms in Church law. The bishops’ assurances come after Pope Francis restricted the celebration of Latin Mass in his motu propio, Traditions Custodes, placing responsibility for its regulation in the hands of the bishops.…
While many were relieved that the Oireachtas Committee on Justice scrapped the Dying with Dignity Bill, a prominent medical ethicist has warned another effort will come soon. The Committee said in a July 21 statement that the Bill, introduced by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, “has serious technical issues in several sections”. It “reluctantly”…
St Declan’s Way became Ireland’s longest pilgrim path after receiving recognition from Sport Ireland, with Irish Pilgrim Path’s founder comparing it to the famous Camino de Santiago. More than 200 people embarked on the 115km trail, which begins in Cashel and ends in Armdore, Co. Waterford, July 24, which John G O’Dwyer said is a…
Ballintubber Abbey is set to receive €350,000 from the National Monuments Service for reconstruction and renovation of the 800-year-old church. Green Party TD Malcolm Noonan announced the contribution while visiting the Mayo abbey, where Mass has been celebrated for more than 800 years, July 22. He was “delighted” to announce the funding, as “the local…
With a month of summer left, Ruadhán Jones reflects on the ideal Catholic long read The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien has a broad fan base, within and outside Catholic circles, but due to its length – 900 pages and some – it can be off-putting. For many, Peter Jackson’s film adaptation is…