Darren Butler, National Coordinator of the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative (IBDI), has spoken of a renewed interest in taking the pledge to abstain from alcohol and drugs at Sacrament of Confirmation ceremonies. The work of the IBDI is to mobilise parish communities to work in partnership with other service providers as a pastoral response to…
The story that came to light in recent weeks about the woman from Limerick who almost died after undergoing an abortion is something that could have been avoided if senior members of government had listened to pro-life TDs and accepted the amendments they proposed prior to the passage of the new abortion law in 2018.…
Dublin diocese is set to get a second auxiliary bishop, after Pope Francis announced Bishop Paul Dempsey will move from his position in Achonry as part of seismic changes in the Church in Ireland. Bishop Dempsey takes on the role of auxiliary alongside Bishop-elect Donal Roche, whose appointment was only announced last month.
As four dioceses in the West merge, the Papal Nuncio to Ireland said the seismic changes were needed to meet “new challenges” facing the Church, “pooling resources” to increase vitality.
Pope Francis has announced monumental changes to the leadership of dioceses in the West of Ireland in a move that has long been expected, but has come suddenly. There will now only be three bishops in the whole of the West ecclesiastical province of Tuam after the biggest shake-ups of dioceses for almost 1,000 years.…
Ruadhán Jones and Chai Brady Dozens of adults and young people were welcomed into the Church in Ireland over Easter weekend, with parishes praising the “great signs” of hope these conversions bring for local communities. Many of the new converts are young people who have come to Ireland to make their home and through the…
The scenes of young people carrying petrol bombs during a parade in Derry on Easter Monday were “sad and shocking”, highlighting how the young are “groomed” for violence, a prominent peace priest has warned. Police said they saw evidence of youths preparing petrol bombs before an illegal dissident republican parade in Creggan, Co. Derry, on…
A priest based in Co. Limerick cathedral has praised the Faith of foreign nationals who he says can “be an example to people in Ireland”. Fr Leo McDonnell of St John’s Cathedral, Limerick warned against anti-immigrant sentiment in the country following large numbers of Ukrainians fleeing war and other asylum seekers from across the world.…
Making an appeal in a culture that is “changing rapidly”, Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran, urged Catholics to not be dismayed at a growing societal attitude that openly disregards faith and the Church but to instead centre our focus on the fundamentals of what we believe in and the Church’s provisions if we want to…
Fr Shay Cullen, a Columban missionary priest in the Philippines for the last 55 years, has revealed that according to Unicef reports, seven million Filipino children are abused every year and get no help Additionally, one child in every three are victims of sexual abuse. Fr Cullen has been a longstanding advocate for children’s rights…
Eilis Mulroy
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady
Brandon Scott