Fr Joe Mullen I once heard an amusing description of the three stages of priestly ministry. Seemingly it begins at ordination with a big head, continues in middle years with a big belly and concludes when the Lord calls one home with a big funeral! As so often with the dig of gentle humour,…
Diego Lopez Marina – ACI PRENSA With a radiant smile, paediatric physician María Dolores Rosique, known as ‘Lola’, to family and friends, recounted her testimony of healing after overcoming aggressive abdominal cancer. She believes her recovery began after visiting the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in Assisi, Italy, placing herself completely under his care.…
The National Synodal Team has released a list of themes and resources for proposed Spring Gatherings at local level nationally. Revisiting the generalised themes that emerged from the parish focus group stages of the Universal Synod in Ireland is useful, but three years after initial focus groups identified broad themes for discussion, the upcoming Synod…
Re-instating St Valentine? St Valentines Day was a hard day for me this year. It was a Friday, remember, an ‘ordinary’ weekday. And in my rural parish, weekday Masses are not big hits: usually it’s the sacristan and me and one or two others who concelebrate the liturgy. This means that strange feasts like that of…
An ever-present in the emerald green of Limerick for sixteen seasons Graeme Mulcahy has seen it all. From the doldrums of the hurling strike in 2010 to the glory of the four in a row, the thirty-four-year-old Kilmallock native has etched his name as one of the all-time Limerick greats. Having retired shortly after the…
When I was asked to contribute to The Irish Catholic series of articles on exploring the challenges of being a priest in Ireland today, I was a bit hesitant as I have never done anything like that before. Then I thought to myself after 43 years in ministry I surely have something to say from…
Fr Gerry Clarke SJ introduces Joanne Savage to members of the UU Belfast Chaplaincy lunch where students of all faiths and none find spiritual sustenance Best known for his directorship role at the Belfast Jesuit Centre, Fr Gerry Clarke is also a half-time chaplain at the University of Ulster’s bespoke new Belfast campus, his role…
People in Odessa report on everyday life which is now the fourth year of war The Russian attack on Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Three years later, there is still no peace in sight. Those affected in the port city of Odessa talk about how they are dealing with the ongoing threat. “Everything is…
Christian civilisation is not the end goal but the byproduct of genuine faith in God. This was one of the many ideas at the Christ and Culture conference in Galway this past weekend at St Mary’s Church in the Claddagh. Overlooking Galway Bay, the setting was the perfect place for an event looking to begin…
There is a fellow by the name of Marc Andreessen you have almost certainly never heard of. I hadn’t until recently. He is one of those tech wizards who are present basically at the founding of the internet when he was only in his twenties. He helped to set up one of the first big…
David Quinn