Personal Profile When Eric Cooney was young, he had a sense of a vocation to the priesthood. However, he recognised that celibacy would have proved difficult for him and put it aside. But when the possibility of becoming a permanent deacon arose, he took the chance and says he feels blessed in his ministry. He…

The internet has exacerbated our tendency to veer to extreme views so it’s important to be on our guard, writes Jason Osborne I spend a lot of time on Twitter and other social media platforms by virtue of the line of work that I’m in, and it has opened my eyes to the level of detachment…

Personal Profile A ski trip might seem a strange way to engage young people in the Faith. But that’s how Áine Blake got involved in the Legion of Mary. Now volunteering in the women’s homelessness hostel, the Regina Coeli, she says the work has helped mature her faith. After college, Ms Blake moved to Dublin…

Greater choice than ever before has made it more difficult to make a decision and stick with it, writes Jason Osborne Have you ever stood in a packed supermarket aisle and struggled with what should be an easy choice? Which type of cereal? Which type of milk? Which type of bread? Nearly every item in…

Personal Profile Fr Ronan Sheehan (28) went straight from finishing his Leaving Certificate into seminary. While some people said he was too young to start, he has no regrets and is “excited” to begin his ministry as curate to the Cork family of parishes Ballincollig, Ovens and Ballinora. His decision to join the priesthood didn’t…

Fear is a fact of life but our faith equips us to deal with it well, writes Jason Osborne We’re fast approaching the time of year when children will be donning every kind of costume under the sun and taking to the streets as darkness descends to scare people into giving them sweets. For many…

Marriage is full of grace for those who seek it, writes  Jason Osborne Just as in any state of life, it’s very easy to grow complacent and lazy in marriage. I’ve been married for just over a year now, and I already see how easy it is to slip into bad habits – scrolling rather…

Personal Profile Fr Simon Nolan O.Carm. was a young college student, he found his faith life to be drifting. But then a profound experience of God’s love at a weekend spent with the Carmelites revealed a religious vocation. Now, he is prior of Whitefriar St. in Dublin and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in…

The annual and liturgical calendars are useful roadmaps for directing our attention and efforts in the spiritual life, writes Jason Osborne The slow descent into autumn is well underway in the northern hemisphere, with the darkness creeping a little further at the beginning and end of every day, the cold beginning to seep back in…

Personal Profile Long before she became a nun, Sr Helen Culhane RSM wanted to study nursing. Luck didn’t favour her initially and she settled into another career. But after joining the Sisters of Mercy, new doors opened to her and she has spent many years accompanying the sick, the dying and the bereaved. Sr Culhane…