Everyday Philosophy If you see a photograph of yourself as a baby you might have all sorts of thoughts. “How cute I was”, or “peaked in infancy”, or “why was I chasing that goat?” One thought you’re unlikely to think is “I wonder what he’s doing now?” You think yourself quite entitled to believe that…

The Children’s Grief Centre has released a new bereavement toolkit to better help primary school teachers support their communities through grief, writes Jason Osborne Since 2009, the Children’s Grief Centre in Co. Limerick has been offering a support service for children, young adults and their families affected by death, separation or divorce. Established by Sister…

Personal Profile Barry Noel FPM came into contact with the Presentation Brothers while attending their secondary school in Grenada. The Irish missionaries’ commitment and dedication made a great impression on the young man, who decided to follow them into the missionary life. There was only one secondary school on the island before the Presentation Brothers…

Taking your faith seriously is bound to benefit your relationship, writes Jason Osborne A recent study from the University of Exeter caught the public eye when it boldly proclaimed that more religious people have higher sexual satisfaction. Except that it isn’t that bold, because it’s adding to a growing body of research that’s supporting that surprising…

Personal Profile When Bro. Richard Hendrick OFM Cap. was in his teens, he wanted to study zoology, the scientific study of animals. Instead, God called him to a new contemplation of nature in the Franciscan tradition, one Bro. Richard is keen to share with the rest of the world. Bro. Richard began to research, visiting…

We should focus as much on feeding the body with wholesome food as we do the mind during the school year, writes Jason Osborne The return to school is a stressful time for parents more so than children, I’d wager. Children and teenagers have been getting back into the rhythm of things for a few…

Personal Profile Mark Dilworth begins his studies for the priesthood in the diocese of Shrewsbury in England this Autumn. Having already spent some time in Maynooth previously, he still felt the call was there and wants to give it one more shot. Mark grew up in Innishannon, Co. Cork, and received a firm grounding in…

Transitioning from school to college is a big deal for young people, and every effort should be made to help them hit the ground running, writes Jason Osborne Around this time of year, thousands of young people gear up to make the huge transition from school to college life. The size of the change in lifestyle…

Personal Profile When Fr Eamon Kelly LC was a young man in Co. Clare, he considered giving up his schooling and working on his family farm. But the advice of a local priest changed his mind, and set him on a path to ministering in the Holy Land. Fr Kelly grew up on a farm…

Communication is vitally important in any relationship, but all the more so when it comes to the deepest relationships of marriage and family, writes Jason Osborne Consistently listed among the reasons marriages break down and families fall apart is a failure of communication. It need not necessarily be some big fall-out or argument either that…