It’s hard to measure how good or great a film is, but when you’ve topped the premiere fan review site (IMDb) for more than 20 years, you must have done something right. What makes The Shawshank Redemption’s (1994) success even more remarkable is that it was a flop on release. It only came to fame…
Best known for his work in healthcare, especially in Ireland where many healthcare sites bearing his name dot the land, the Portuguese saint John of God is celebrated by the Church March 8. Born in 1495, Joao Cidade had an unsettled and haphazard early life, being orphaned at a young age before finding employment as…
Jem Sullivan Throughout the seasons and feasts of the liturgical year, the Church pauses to give special honour to Mary, mother of Jesus, the son of God. As mother of the Church, we turn to Mary as our mother in the order of grace for she brings about the birth of all believers in…
Both Christians and Muslims fast, pray and give alms. Can we learn anything from one another, asks Fr Michael Barnes SJ At this moment of the Church’s year, as Christians begin the long period of Lent, my thoughts always turn to Muslim friends and to various conversations which I have enjoyed on the subject of…
One of the more curious and eclectic sections on the Vatican’s 1995 list of important films is the ‘art’ section. At least one of their choices, however, is unlikely to be controversial as it is often considered the greatest ‘arthouse’ film of all time – Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi extravaganza, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Although…
The three pillars of Lent – prayer, fasting, almsgiving – enrich our spiritual life during this penitential season. But they can also be challenging. Saints can shed light on our journey. So let’s begin with almsgiving and look to St Katharine Drexel as a profound example of the depth to which this practice calls us.…
Dennis Coday A couple of weeks before my three sons left for college, I took each to dinner. They chose the restaurant, reflecting their personalities: a Thai place, a steak house, a premium burger grill. I picked up the tab, but I wasn’t there for dinner. I wanted to talk. I gave each a copy…
Evangelisation is nothing more or less than sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others, writes Lorene Hanley Duquin A friend, who has been away from the Church for years, starts to reminisce about growing up Catholic. A co-worker tells you that she was baptised Catholic but never received any other sacraments. A neighbour begins…
Faith in Film The Oscar’s ‘best picture’ for 1954, On the Waterfront, is probably best remembered for Marlon Brando’s ground-breaking performance. His visceral but measured portrayal of a sensitive ex-prize fighter deserves all its acclaim. What’s less well known is that the film was at least partly based on the life of a real priest…
Saint of the week On February 23, the Church brings St Polycarp to our attention. An unusual name, Polycarp is one of those ‘titans’ of the early Church, a man who learned from those who had walked directly with Christ himself during his time on earth. Born in 69AD, little enough survives of him and…
Ruadhán Jones