Christmas time really shouldn’t break the bank, writes Colm Fitzpatrick   The Christmas period usually elicits imagery of family gatherings, present-sharing and festive cuisine, but behind this ideal, parents are struggling to cope with the financial costs and burdens that have become part and parcel of this Christian event. And although it seems incongruent to…

Personal Profile Some believers can make the Faith their own, writes Colm Fitzpatrick   Very few people in Ireland can say that one of their creations has been blessed by a Pope, but luckily for retired farmer Noel Ward, he is one of these very few. The Cork-born man had a chance to witness Pope…

Waking up earlier in the morning will change your life for the better, writes  Colm Fitzpatrick   During the winter season, when mornings and nights are both cold and dark, the prospect of voluntarily waking up at 4.30am seems like an untenable and daunting nightmare. To intentionally remove yourself from the comforting warmth of your…

Many women don’t feel an immediate bond with their new-born baby, writes Colm Fitzpatrick   You receive the fantastic news that you’re pregnant and will finally be a mother. For nine blissful months you feel baby kicks and eagerly await the arrival of your child. Delivery day comes, and with little effort and no medical…

Tara McGahan   When I was planning my Summer holidays this year, I had no idea that they would include a unique experience as part of a group of international media who were in Ireland for the visit of Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families 2018. But, that’s exactly what happened on Saturday…

Personal Profile Matthew Carlson speaks with a conflict-resolution activist   Although Brian McKee may have seemed like any other lad growing up in Ireland, he was always a little different than most people his age. Brian grew up in the Passionist Holy Cross parish in Ardoyne, where much of his life revolved around his family,…

Personal Profile Life is often filled with twists and turns, writes Matthew Carlson   A person’s life very rarely moves in a straight path and Diocesan Youth Director Dermot Kelly, is no exception to this wise aphorism. From working in Disney to exploring the importance of pilgrimage, Dermot’s story is a prime example of how God…

Without literature, we lose our humanity, writes Davis Clark   The perception among many of us is that reading as an art is slowly fading from public consciousness, as people throw down their Shakespeare in favour of smartphones and Netflix. This is only partially true – literacy is increasing worldwide, and it’s been estimated that…