‘The New Evangelisation’ in Ireland Dear Editor, I write to comment on Pedro Esteva’s interesting article on new style formation for student priests at Maynooth (The Irish Catholic, April 2). There are many excellent ideas in the article; e.g. that formation should include such topics as parish finances, communication and team building, collaborative leadership and…
Parish priests — not bishops, not the laity — are the critical cohort who will determine whether the synodal vision of Pope Francis takes root in the life of the Church. That was the firm assessment of Prof. Michael W. Higgins, the veteran Canadian Vatican journalist and academic, speaking at All Hallows College, Dublin, at…
The Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, has announced on April 21, 2026, the appointment of four commissioners to the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Schools. The Minister confirmed that Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, senior legal consultant Mr Roddy Bourke, and child safeguarding experts Mr Kieran…
Dr Lorna Gold, of the Laudato Si’ Movement, spoke yesterday on “alternatives to today’s economic system in response to the climate crisis”, at the Women, Faith & Climate Network Gathering at Queen’s University Belfast. The talk, titled ‘An economy of enough: rethinking prosperity in an age of limits’, was part of an event organised by…
Sunday May 3, 2026 marks the 35th Birthday Remembrance of the newly Canonised St Carlo Acutis. To mark this special occasion, the first Birthday Remembrance since Carlo was Canonised last September, Mass will be offered on Sunday May 3, 2026 at 12pm in Holy Family Church, Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary – the home of the First…
After a promising Easter, the Church faces its most urgent question The priests can breathe now. After the long procession of Holy Week — the oils, the darkness, the fire, the alleluias — Easter Monday brings something like silence. They’ve earned it. The reports filtering in from parishes around the country tell an encouraging…
Who threatens freedom of the press? Dear Editor, Michael Sanfey’s most informative report on the recent European conference of journalism and media freedom quotes one of the participants as warning against the influence that readers can exert on the media, thus compromising freedom of speech. The speaker offered as an example the fact that The…
In Week 6 of his Lumen gentium catechesis, Pope Leo XIV sheds light on the innate dignity of the laity and their role in the mission of the Church Brothers and sisters, good morning! Let us continue on our path of reflection on the Church as she is presented to us in the Conciliar…
Just days after a leading member of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) dismissed the ancient practice of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament as “of the past”, Pope Leo has urged young people to make time for Eucharistic adoration as part of the path to living a fulfilled life. Writing in his message for Vocations…
Pope Leo has appointed a prelate who accused westerners of being “obsessed” with female ordination to lead a key Vatican office charged with interpreting Church law. The Vatican announced on March 25 that Pope Leo has called Australian bishop Anthony Randazzo to Rome to become prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Text, at the same…