A new Biblical anthropology seeks to answer the perennial question, what is man, Ruadhán Jones hears Scriptural studies are as old as the hills; anthropology is little more than 150 years old. In bringing the two together, the Pontifical Biblical Commission is living out the call of Vatican II to read the signs of the…

The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. Today we commence five Sundays when our Gospel is taken from Chapter 6 of John which is all about the bread of life. The symbol of John in art is an eagle which sores high. John begins a chapter with something on ground level such as water…

Rumours out of Rome have upset traditionalists around the world, but the situation may not be as bad as feared, writes Jason Osborne Rumours have been swirling over the past two months concerning possible restrictions on the celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form. The Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported that a source within the…

The plight of Myanmar’s Christians continues to worsen, Aung San Phyo tells Ruadhán Jones In the way of the modern news cycle, the plight of Myanmar (formerly Burma) has disappeared from view, having once dominated our papers, screens and Twitter feeds. Since the military completed a violent coup February 1 of this year, the situation…

Good conquers evil, but awareness and action needed as Ireland is ‘disappointing’ on human trafficking, charity founder and Irish RSM sister tells Chai Brady Ireland and Romania are the only countries in the EU that are on ‘tier two’ of a US watchlist due to inadequate responses taken to tackle human trafficking, which Pope Francis…

The CEO of Misean Cara tells Ruadhán Jones about Covid’s unique challenges for Irish Missionaries As Misean Cara’s new CEO says, it is not a secret that the Irish missionary is ageing and declining in numbers at home and abroad, a fact exacerbated by Covid-19. The face of the Irish, faith-based missionary organisation is changing,…

The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. I will always remember the first time I had to preach to a Sunday Mass congregation. All the prayers at Mass were then in Latin which very few understood, and the priest had his back to the people most of the time. I turned around to face…

Following in the footsteps of St Patrick is an ideal way to find peace and solace, writes Martina Purdy When I left the convent after five years, I left behind a life rich in silence, and was warned by a friend to be careful in a world that had become extremely busy. “It’s the age…

Irishman Bishop Joseph Shanahan’s impact in Nigeria continues 100 years on, Sr Chinyeaka Ezeani MSHR tells Ruadhán Jones Bishop Joseph Shanahan is not a household name in Ireland. But in parts of Nigeria, it’s hard to move without seeing his name: schools, colleges, hospitals and halls all bare the name of “Nigeria’s St Patrick”, Sr…

The unique Waterford-based mission has proven itself both a home and spiritual school over the past five years, writes Jason Osborne Holy Family Mission (HFM) began in 2016 when 10 young people between the ages of 18-30 signed up for a year of faith formation. Since then, they’ve welcomed 56 young missionaries through their doors,…