Bishop of Clogher Larry Duffy has warned that providing a priest for every parish is becoming increasingly difficult, as more than half of the diocese’s priests are now aged over 70. Announcing diocesan changes for 2026, Bishop Duffy said 53% of priests are over 70, while only 21 are under 65 and nine under 60.“The…
The Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Catherine McDaid has launched a new initiative at St Augustine’s Church Hall. Named ‘Pilgrims Together Trail’, the initiative offers pilgrims an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of St Columba and discover stories behind 1,500 years of Christian worship across Derry City. The trail…
Tributes have been paid to Augustinian priest and biblical scholar Fr Kieran O’Mahony OSA, who died peacefully at Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, on August 18. Fr O’Mahony was widely known for his work in Scripture and for helping Catholics engage more deeply with the Bible through teaching, preaching and writing. Only weeks before his…
The newly appointed Bishop of Derry has appealed to Irish Catholics to rediscover Knock Shrine and the joys of pilgrimage. Speaking as the annual Knock Novena begins on August 13, Bishop Michael Router spoke of the importance of the Co. Mayo shrine for the Irish people. “Sometimes,” said Bishop Michael Router, “we don’t find it…
In the heart of a city long scarred by division, the pipes and fiddles of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann sounded a note of quiet triumph at the weekend. For the first time, Belfast hosted the world’s largest celebration of Irish traditional music, song, dance and language – drawing more than a million visitors. That this…
A centenary recreation of Waterford’s historic March of the Black Friars is an opportunity to “re-engage” with the city’s Catholic history rather than simply look back nostalgically, a local historian has said. The procession on August 16 will recall the 1926 march which drew around 5,000 people to mark 700 years since the arrival of…
In a recent visit to the archbishop’s residence in Armagh, Emma Redmond, Head of OpenAI Ireland, gathered with Archbishop Eamon Martin to discuss the Pope’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. Ms Redmond was accompanied by Derek Nolan, Policy and Partnerships Lead for Ireland and the Nordics at OpenAI Ireland. The group discussed the encyclical letter “at this…
Knock Shrine is preparing to expand its role as a centre for retreats and faith formation as religious-run retreat houses continue to close across Ireland, its rector has said. Fr Richard Gibbons PP said the shrine is planning decades ahead as it considers how its facilities can respond to the changing needs of the Irish…
A relative of the Maguire children, whose tragic deaths in 1976 inspired a peace movement in Belfast, has described the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann as a “miracle.” “We used to be dying in the streets, and now we are dancing in the streets,” said Gerry Grehan, whose family was catapulted into world headlines this week…
A group of 27 Polish pilgrims will trek across Ireland for three weeks, offering their journey in prayer for young people across Europe. The hikers, part of NINIWA Team, a youth initiative of the Missionary Oblates in Poland, will leave Dublin on August 24 and travel through the Wicklow Mountains, Mayo and Connemara before continuing…
Renata Steffens
Martina Purdy