During the darkest years of the Troubles, crossing the border often meant lengthy delays, roadblocks and searches by British security forces. Cars were stopped, boots and bonnets opened, while soldiers searched for weapons, explosives and anyone or anything else that they deemed a threat. Sean Mellon was carrying something entirely different. Rather than guns or…
For many people in rural Sierra Leone, nightfall still signals the effective end of the day. “Life largely finishes at six o’clock when it gets dark,” Trócaire CEO Seán Farrell told The Irish Catholic, just days after returning from Kambia in northern Sierra Leone. However, in thousands of homes across the rural district, things are…
In the summer of 1989, Antrim’s hurlers carried more than just the hopes of a county when they ran out in Croke Park for the All-Ireland final. They carried the weight of isolation, expectation and identity, a team from a northern stronghold of hurling that had fought their way onto the biggest stage at the…
As Pope Benedict XVI once said, “The art of music, [is] uniquely called to instil hope in the human spirit, so scarred and sometimes wounded by the earthly condition,” a group of over-55s gathers in Fingal to sing together, play games and share life stories. The Irish Catholic joined one of the meetings, named ‘Sunshine…
As a Catholic mother raising children in a world that often feels at odds with my faith, I frequently encounter a tension that seems almost impossible to resolve. I want to protect my family’s hearts and minds, to shield them from influences that contradict our beliefs and values. Yet, I am also deeply aware of…
Knock Shrine has attracted thousands of pilgrims for its annual Novena, which has been taking place since August 13 and will conclude tomorrow, August 21, the anniversary of the Apparition. This year’s theme is ‘Sheltered in God’s Love,’ and marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Knock Basilica. The event provides an opportunity for prayer and reflection…
While tens of thousands of Mayo supporters descended on Croke Park, as towns, villages and crossroads emptied in hope that a 75-year wait for Sam Maguire might finally end, anticipation had already reached a fever pitch a week earlier in the tiny rural community of Tooreen, near the Roscommon border. For while Mayo is, and…
Knock was always part of Fr Richard Gibbons’s life, even before it became his work. Growing up in Mayo, his family came each year – mum, dad, six children and, sometimes, his grandfather – everyone piling into a small minibus. This was the 1970s, when the Basilica itself was newly built. “My memory of it,…
Catholic activists are accusing Mexico’s Supreme Court of judicial activism when it comes to expanding access to abortion in the Latin American nation. Over the past few months, the Supreme Court has handed down a series of major rulings aimed at ensuring broad access to abortion services for pregnant women in Mexico. Pro-life advocates in…
It was Palm Sunday, 2019 and the words from Luke’s Gospel were echoing in the heart of the Cavan priest. “Into your hands, O Lord…” The following day he would celebrate requiem Mass for a relative – before heading to Dublin to meet the Papal Nuncio. In his forty years as a priest in Kilmore…
Renata Steffens
Martina Purdy