As the virtual world becomes more a part of daily life, the necessity of protecting ourselves online increases – Jason Osbourne Recent news surrounding Facebook’s rebrand as ‘Meta’ has prompted many people to reflect on the increasing intrusion of the online and virtual into the offline and physical. A couple of years ago it was…
Personal Profile Timmy Manley admits that he was initially roped into joining his local Legion of Mary praesidium – but now, 62 years later, he continues to serve in the lay apostolate. The Watergrasshill and Glenville branch of the Legion was started in 1952, one the earlier ones to start in Co. Cork, Mr Manley…
The Catholic Church has always embraced meditation on death, and November is the month most associated with that, writes Jason Osborne The leaves continue to fall from the trees as nature uses the rest of autumn to prepare for winter, a fitting natural symbol of death, which is at the forefront of Catholic minds in the…
Personal Profile When Dr Alex O’Hara visited Clonmacnoise as an eleven-year-old, he could hardly have known that it would be a life-defining moment. But looking back now, the professor of early Church history and Irish monasticism knows that this visit and another to a monastery in Normandy had a “profound effect” on him. Dr O’Hara’s…
The latest trends and advances in technology are changing funeral practices in Ireland and around the world, writes Jason Osborne The world seems more fluid than ever before, and even the age-old traditions surrounding death and funerals aren’t immune to the effects of the current trends and technology reshaping everything we know. Speaking to The Irish…
Personal Profile When Sr Helen Freer made her first profession to the Redemptoristines in Dublin a few weeks ago, the celebrant said that “God is a God of surprises”. This is a truth that Sr Helen’s life testifies to – it was only in 2016 that she entered the Catholic Church, a journey sparked by…
Picking up a new language is a daunting prospect with a tantalising reward, but it’s easier now than ever, writes Jason Osborne Most of us would like to be able to speak at least one other language, and most of us leave school without the ability to do so (unless we attended a Gaelscoil). Or at…
Personal Profile Bro. Antony Kurian OFM Cap. was the first Capuchin to make his solemn profession in Ireland for seven years. The Indian-born brother first encountered the Capuchins in India, but he joined the order here hoping to join in a renewal of the Faith in Europe. Only when I had this job and I…
Procrastination is an issue that plagues everyone, and we’d be better off if we chose to confront it now, rather than later, writes Jason Osborne From schoolchildren who put off doing their homework for hours, to politicians who avoid addressing pressing issues and everyone in between, procrastination is an issue that affects us all. In…
Personal Profile When Noel Lynch travelled to South America as an envoy for the Legion of Mary, he didn’t speak a word of Spanish. Now, 60 years later, he continues his life of ministry to the Spanish speaking community that gathers at St Saviour’s Dominican church, Dublin. Noel joined the legion while still in secondary…