A group of young Irish Catholics became the first fully English-speaking group to take part in the Franciscan pilgrimage to the Pardon of Assisi in its 44-year history. Around 20 pilgrims, accompanied by Bro. Ronan Sharpley OFM and another Franciscan friar, walked for three days towards Assisi, covering up to 30km a day in temperatures…
A historic church in Co. Cork, built two years before Catholic Emancipation, is preparing for its bicentennial with “unusual events” and fundraising for church restoration and heritage preservation. The Doneraile Parish was the home of many famous priests and still conserves its historical importance. In preparation for the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed…
Catholics should not leave their faith at home when going on holidays, Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan has said, encouraging families to use time away for spiritual as well as physical renewal. Speaking on a recent podcast, the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore said holidays provide a legitimate break from everyday duties, but warned against allowing them…
The Dominican Prior for the Province of Ireland has criticised difficulties surrounding visas for foreign Dominicans coming to study in Ireland. In this paper, Fr John Harris OP has said that Irish rules are very “restrictive”. Fr Harris is currently assisting a student with his needed documentation to study in the State; however, “because he…
The near-collapse and subsequent recovery of the Irish Dominican Province was not a matter of inevitable cycles but the work of both the miraculous and determined individuals, according to Fr Terence Crotty OP, who has written a history of the Order. Reflecting on the Province’s fortunes, Fr Crotty rejected the idea that decline and revival…
Baroness Nuala O’Loan has called for the Holy See to review what is happening to Catholics in China, citing human rights abuses, religious repression and the case of an underground Church priest she says was killed for his ministry. Writing exclusively in this paper Ms O’Loan states: “The 2018 Agreement [between China and the Holy…
The Diocese of Down and Connor honoured the hard work of two priests last week, with Mass celebrated by Bishop Alan McGuckian and a celebratory lunch in honour of their jubilees. Diocesan secretary and Parish Priest of Ballyclare and Ballgowan Parishes Fr Gerard Fox celebrated his Silver Jubilee, and Chancellor of the Diocese Fr Eugene…
Thousands expected for annual pilgrimage to holy site Not every pilgrim who comes to Knock seeking healing will find it — but that does not mean they leave empty-handed, according to the shrine’s rector. Fr Richard Gibbons PP said that even when the miracle sought is not granted, Knock offers pilgrims something else: the certainty…
The centenary of Cork’s Eucharistic Procession and the growing devotion to St Carlo Acutis in Ardfinnan were highlighted in an RTÉ Nationwide programme broadcast on Wednesday, August 5. The programme looked back at this year’s procession, when more than 5,000 people accompanied the Blessed Sacrament through Cork despite persistent rain. Led by Bishop of Cork…
A conference on ‘Irish Catholic Spaces: Pasts and Futures’ at Dublin City University will address “the extraordinary built heritage of the Church in Ireland,” according to Catholic Historical Society of Ireland committee member Prof. John McCafferty. The conference will be put on by the historical society at DCU’s St Patrick’s Campus in Drumcondra on September…
Renata Steffens