A painting of St Thérèse of Lisieux will be displayed to the public in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at Knock, which opens for the season on May 2. The painting, an original artwork of French Symbolist artist Edgar Maxence (1871–1954), was gifted to the Shrine and at the end of last year, Knock Shrine received…

A series of ongoing court cases across the UK and Ireland are drawing renewed attention to how abortion buffer zone laws are being enforced, ahead of this year’s March for Life on Bank Holiday Monday, May 4. In Northern Ireland, Pastor Clive Johnston appeared in court on April 22 in a high-profile case under the…

Forming ‘saints and scholars’ in today’s world Faith formation and intellectual formation should grow together, according to Grace Cantillon-Murphy, director of Mater Dei Education.Speaking to The Irish Catholic ahead of her talk, ‘A New Generation of Saints and Scholars’, Ms Cantillon-Murphy said that faith and reason must go hand in hand. “A saint seeks truth…

Exclusive   School subject “opt-outs are now being framed as a new card to disrupt the ethos of Catholic schools” the CEO of the Catholic Education Partnership (CEP), Alan Hynes has warned. “We need to be clear: if we are going to divest schools — which we support — then our Catholic schools, which the…

A new sanctuary in Lough Derg was dedicated to the late Msgr Richard Mohan – Prior of Lough Derg from 1990 to 2013 – during a ceremony on Sunday, April 19. The dedication was attended by many of Msgr Mohan’s family members and friends, pilgrims, local parishioners and Lough Derg staff. The new sanctuary honours…

The Bishop of Meath has said he if there is a wish for divesting by parents and staff of a school in his diocese he will “respect that and it will happen.” Bishop Tom Deenihan made the commitment at the Fiftieth Anniversary celebrations of Saint Oliver’s National School in Navan on Wednesday. “If there is…

  The Irish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (EOHSJ) has marked its 40th anniversary with a commemorative Mass celebrated at Holy Cross Abbey. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Dr Stephen Dorgan, Chancellor of the Order in Ireland, described this as “an amazing milestone of service” to Christians in the…

Thomas Merton assassination theory reveals “gaps that need to be addressed” says biographer scholar   Claims that Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton was assassinated rather than killed by accidental electrocution in 1968 cannot be substantiated by existing evidence — but unanswered questions about the circumstances of his death remain legitimate and have never been…

The Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, has announced on April 21, 2026, the appointment of four commissioners to the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Schools. The Minister confirmed that Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, senior legal consultant Mr Roddy Bourke, and child safeguarding experts Mr Kieran…