Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell has called on Catholics across the archdiocese to embrace an accelerating process of parish restructuring the format for which was published alongside a pastoral letter for Pentecost. The Archbishop urges Dubliners: “If we have the courage to face up to the reality of our local Church today, we will clearly…
More than 1,000 Catholics gathered in Dublin over Pentecost weekend for the Ignite Ireland conference, headlined by US theologian and author Dr Scott Hahn. The Dominican-backed event, held at The Convention Centre Dublin on Saturday, May 23, brought together Catholics from parishes, ministries, movements and religious communities across the country under the theme ‘Turning Embers…
An organiser of hundreds of public Rosary Rallies across Ireland has said the gatherings show Catholics are “rediscovering the value of devotion to Our Lady”. The 586 rallies, organised by the Irish Society for Christian Civilisation and its Ireland Needs Fatima campaign, marked the 109th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. Speaking…
A case against pro-life campaigner Claire Brennan under Northern Ireland’s abortion safe access zone law has been dismissed, with Ms Brennan saying she is “ecstatic” that the case is over. Ms Brennan, who has been supported by Christian Concern, had been accused of breaching the law outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. The dismissal comes amid…
Conservative Catholic voices have told this paper that recent episcopal oversight of the Irish Synodal Pathway has transformed what they once feared might be an open-ended discernment exercise into something more structured — and more recognisably Catholic — ahead of the National Synodal Assembly in October. The Irish Synodal Pathway is now in its most…
Pope Leo XIV will address the topic of artificial intelligence in his first universal encyclical, which was signed on Friday, May 15, and will be published on May 25, said the Vatican on Monday. The encyclical, entitled Magnifica humanitas, will discuss the preservation of human dignity in the growing age of AI, an issue that…
A Benemerenti Medal was awarded to the recently retired sacristan of the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, in Barryroe, Co. Cork. Maura Whelton was awarded by the Pope, but the presentation was made by the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Fintan Gavin. Ms Whelton worked in the church for some 30 years, and…
Excitement is growing across the Diocese of Cloyne ahead of its first priestly ordination in nine years, as Whitechurch native Rev. Tiernan Burke prepares to be ordained to the priesthood on the Feast of Pentecost. The ordination will take place in St Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, at 3pm on Sunday, May 24, marking a joyful moment…
Julieann Moran, General Secretary of the Synodal Path of the Catholic Church in Ireland, was a guest speaker at the Katholikentag in Wurzburg, Germany, over the weekend. She told participants that there is still great fear among some that things will change, and among others that they won’t. “But Jesus called on people not to…
A priest’s reaction to the eulogy at a funeral Mass in Ardee, Co. Louth, has been stirring opinions online. The eulogy was being read at a funeral Mass on May 13 in the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, Ardee/Collon Parish, and was interrupted by the priest, who stood up, saying “that’s enough”, that…
Renata Steffens