The emotional side of love matters, but doesn’t fully capture the reality involved, writes Dr Gaven Kerr Love is a concept that is well known and familiar to a lot of us. It is present in nearly every movie script we come across, it is central to numerous great works of literature, and it is…
The Sunday Gospel Last Sunday we completed the first half of the ministry of Jesus and moved into the second stage. “Who do you say I am?” The first half of Mark is complete when Peter recognises him as the Christ, the Anointed One. Jesus is his personal name and Christ is his career name,…
Parishioners must be trained and prepared in innovative ministries to keep parishes alive, the new bishop of Ferns tells Chai Brady Every diocese has a unique set of challenges but there is a “definite trend” all are experiencing in Ireland which is the continued decrease in priestly vocations, with the new Bishop of Ferns saying…
The Sunday Gospel In today’s Mass we reach the halfway point of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 8: 27-35). The first half develops the identity of who Jesus is and it is time to ask the question, “Who do people say I am?” The second half will deal with the question of the way that Jesus is…
Catholic charity St Francis Leprosy Guild is striving to see leprosy eradicated within 25 to 30 years, writes Jason Osborne Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, has stalked the world since biblical times, and God has often used it to show that his healing power is at work in the world. He transformed the appearance of Moses’…
Ireland is unprepared in battle against the demonic as Christianity declines, a renowned US exorcist tells Chai Brady The number of people who believe they are being oppressed or even possessed by demonic forces has continued to rise as Christianity declines in the Western world, according to a well-known American exorcist who warns that practicing…
Catholic business Eternum Columbarium wants to provide a dedicated space for cremated remains, Ruadhán Jones hears The number of people opting for cremation instead of burials has risen steadily in Ireland and Northern Ireland over the last 20 years. In 2019, the figure sat at just under a quarter (22%) of deaths ending with cremation…
In a new series, we share the reflections of some readers of The Irish Catholic as the Church in Ireland continues the synodal journey Fast and Pray: this is the traditional way to prepare and we should be encouraged to fast as much as we can. Abstinence on Fridays is not hard or we could…
The Sunday Gospel Last Saturday I had the great privilege of baptising my beautiful grandniece, Juliet. Actually, I prefer to refer to the sacrament as a Christening. Baptism means having a bath, being washed and cleansed. Christening, or Christ-ening, expresses the new life received, a living relationship with Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord. After naming…
Brian Devlin’s experience of Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s abuse of power is prompting his calls for reform and renewal in the Church, writes Jason Osborne Faithful Catholics today are weary and browbeaten following the revelations in recent years of the deep rot of abuse that took place at the heart of parishes and dioceses around the…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones