I write these words in Rome on the first day of my new appointment as an official of the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Holy See. It is a privilege to be here in this city that has so much history, culture and global significance, attracting millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over…
Few families in Derry football carry a legacy as enduring as the Bradleys. Born in Glenullin and raised just eight miles away in Kilrea, brothers Paddy and Eoin grew into two of the most recognisable Gaelic footballers of their generation, their journeys shaped long before they ever pulled on a county jersey. Paddy, the elder…
Julieann Moran shares how 2026 will be a year of practical engagement and initiatives to help communities share the Good News as synodal practices are embedded across parishes and dioceses Following on from the Assembly in Kilkenny on 18th October, and listening closely to the feedback from all involved, we are now moving into the…
Danielle Magennis is a Belfast-born actress and writer, known for roles in The Secret (2016) and Say Nothing (2024), and more recently as co-host of the Reclaiming the Faith podcast with her fiancé, actor John Connors (Love/Hate, Cardboard Gangsters). The pair explore faith, identity, and healing through honest conversations with priests, theologians, and people whose…
The Vatican has received explosive mail from the Goldenstein convent: the rebellious nuns are demanding the dismissal of their superior and are making serious accusations against the provost. In the dispute over the Goldenstein monastery near Salzburg, the three nuns who live there have now turned to the Vatican. In a letter dated Tuesday, obtained…
60 years ago, the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Catholic Church initiated a comprehensive renewal. These are the most important contents of the 16 Council texts: Understanding of the Church: the constitution Lumen gentium (1964) sets out the new self-understanding of the Roman Catholic Church. It defines the Church as a community of believers, as…
In January 17, 1991, the world witnessed the beginning of a devastating bombardment of Iraq with the start of the combat phase of the Gulf War. A NATO-led coalition launched its attack in response to Saddam Hussein’s annexation and invasion of Kuwait. Just twenty-four hours earlier, however, a new pair of lungs had drawn in…
I recently read in an article that for young people today, “faith is often less an inherited identity, rather an informed choice”. This statement really struck a chord with me, especially in relation to the young people that I am fortunate to encounter and accompany in the course of my ministry in the Archdiocese of…
Years ago, sandwiched between work and a commute, in the ambient silence of the Newman University Church, I learned about John Henry Newman for the first time. I was stirred by his motto “Heart speaks (un)to Heart”. Recently, two things propelled me to prioritise learning more about his contribution to the faith. First, he is…
When picturing a cathedral, you may imagine the skyscraping towers of Notre-Dame or the grandiose dome of St Paul’s. Although these buildings are synonymous with resplendent architecture, jaw-dropping scale and profound histories, somewhat unassuming churches, such as St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in the heart of Dublin, can still hold deep-seated influences in their respective communities.…