Pope Francis has awarded the Benemerenti medal for service to the Church to two Irish parishioners in the space of a week. Belfast Christian musician Rita Goldsmith and Tipperary sacristan Willie Fogarty were bestowed with the award in recognition of their “long and untiring service” to their respective Catholic communities. Rita Goldsmith was formally presented…
A May 25 attack on Christians in north-central Pakistan by an enraged Muslim mob, accusing a Christian man of having defaced the Quran, represents a “dark day” for the country’s Christian community, Pakistan’s top Catholic official has said. “I strongly condemn this incident. It’s a dark day for the Church in Pakistan,” Bishop Samson Shukardin…
A Catholic fraternity is taking the White House to court after it was banned from holding an annual Mass it has staged at a national cemetery for more than 60 years. The Knights of Columbus has held a Memorial Day Mass at the Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Virginia every year since 1960. But it is claiming religious discrimination after…
Rising temperatures, endless droughts, and devastating floods – an unrelenting cycle of extreme weather is pushing communities in Malawi into deadly hunger. In the Neno District of Malawi, farmer and father, Kosimasi has been struggling with the increasing consequences of climate change for many years. Unprecedented levels of rainfall have eroded the land and swept…
In London, the FA Cup Final was played at the weekend. As is traditional, the inspiring hymn Abide With Me was sung with gusto before the soccer action got underway. Sports fans know a thing or two about faith and hope. To give yourself fully to your favourite team is to be a true believer,…
Letter of the Week Highest honour bestowed on Dana Dear Editor, News that Ireland’s first Eurovision Song Contest winner in 1970 and former MEP Dana Rosemary Scallon has been conferred with a Papal honour, in recognition for services rendered to the Catholic Church, is cause to rejoice. Dana who regularly appears on EWTN, wrote and…
How to answer your child’s difficult God questions In the latest episode of The Confession Box, we speak with Julianne Stanz about faith and children’s faith formation – what would you say to a 7 year old if they ask you what’s the closest planet to heaven? Julianne is the author of ‘The Catholic Parents…
Former MEP and 1970 Eurovision winner Dana has been awarded the Order of St Gregory by Pope Francis in recognition of her services to the Church. Dana became a Dame of the Order of St Gregory at a ceremony at her parish church in Claregalway, Co. Galway, surrounded by family and friends. She thanked Bishop Michael Duignan, Bishop of…
A returned missionary priest who doesn’t qualify for a state pension is to speak with his religious order, the Society of African Missions (SMA) to find out why apparently no stamps were paid on his behalf while he was a missionary in Ghana for 31 years, which he claims was a paid employment where he…
Kansas City Chiefs’ placekicker Harrison Butker offered some pointed criticism of Catholic bishops and priests along with advice to college graduates in his commencement address at Benedictine College on Saturday. Catholic bishops should be more like St Damien of Molokai and less concerned about what civil and cultural leaders think about them, the three-time Super…