A giant of Irish intellectual life, Fr Enda McDonagh is warmly remembered by many as a man of great generosity, writes Jason Osborne Tributes have poured in for “towering intellect”, Fr Enda McDonagh, with President Higgins saying he “will be missed by so many for a multitude of good reasons.” Intellectual life Fr McDonagh was…
Welcome plans to scrap the ‘undignified’ direct provision system will be challenging, writes Chai Brady Many priests and religious have been doing their best to help integrate asylum seekers into communities as well as support them through advocacy, particularly by calling for an end to the direct provision system, but with a housing crisis and…
The retired Pontiff is keen to burst conspiracy theories, writes Michael Kelly A little over eight years ago, Benedict XVI stunned the world by announcing that he would resign as Pope. In so doing he became first man to renounce the papacy on his own initiative since Celestine V in 1294. Now, in a new…
Fr Peter Whelan’s compelling story of war-time ministry in the US is worth remembering, writes Chai Brady It takes a brave man to remain a prisoner of war in order to continue ministering to defeated soldiers despite being offered freedom, but that, among many other selfless things, was what Fr Peter Whelan did during the…
The gulf between Joe Biden and the US bishops is a symptom of a divided Church, writes Jason Osborne Plenty has already been said about the fractious state the United States find themselves in; religiously, politically and culturally. It was into this mire that President Joe Biden has waded, himself a flash point in many…
We are called to look at our beloved, broken and beautiful earth and see the weeping face of God in it, writes Fr Daniel O’Leary You are away from your family. Your family is in trouble. You pray for the family. You hope the prayers will work. But you are still anxious. You decide to…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. Today we have John’s version of the cleansing of the temple, anticipating the replacement of temple worship by the worship of God through the risen Lord (John 2:13-25). Herod the Great, a man of mixed racial lineage, desiring to ingratiate himself with the Jews decided to build…
English Catholic poet Sally Read, tells Ruadhán Jones what Catholicism taught her about life and art Can you remember what you were doing this time 11 years ago? Early spring of 2010 was cold and blustery; or was it? Did I go for a trip away, was I busy with work? Seasons come and go…
Belief in Jesus Christ and God as our Creator remains absolutely compatible with science, writes Dr Brian Wilson As a young Catholic increasingly curious and hungry for more knowledge of the Faith, I find that rather than holding my faith back, my scientific training has helped to deepen it. After taking time to understand and…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. Lent takes us from last Sunday’s encounter with Satan in the wilderness to this Sunday’s vision of the transfigured Lord on the mountain (Mark 9:2-10). Jesus took three apostles, Peter, James and John with him up a high mountain where they could be alone. From a mountain…
Chai Brady
Michael Kelly