Despite “understandable” concerns about housing and homelessness Irish people are still welcoming to asylum seekers particularly when meeting them face to face, a Wicklow-based priest has insisted. Fr Donal Roche PP of Wicklow, Kilbride and Barndarrig told The Irish Catholic a large number of asylum seekers are now living in Wicklow Town but he has…
An Irish missionary who educates Syrian refugees in his school in Tyre has described the failure of Lebanese officials to renew his residency permit for months as “cruel” and called on the Irish Government to intervene. The process requires Rosminian priest Fr William Stuart to submit his passport to ‘General Security’, which means he can’t…
The Irish bishops’ conference has released new sexual education resources to help teachers present Catholic teaching on RSE in secondary schools. The move comes after the Minster for Education signed off on a controversial new curriculum for social, personal and health education (SPHE), which includes relationship and sexual education (RSE). A final draft of the…
The Government has to learn from the protests in Inch, Co. Clare, regarding housing of refugees in the area, Bishop Fintan Monahan has said. Bishop Monahan visited the town and met with protestors and refugees after controversy erupted over a barricade that blocked refugees from being housed in a former hotel. He said there’s learning…
Award-winning Christian artist Victoria Johnston launched her debut album in Golden Discs, Dundrum, with Minister for State Neale Richmond in attendance. Minister Richmond praised the Grammy-nominated singer at the launch, saying its “super to have such amazing talent in our area” and describing her album as “beautiful”. The album, ‘Where the Lights Glow’, includes Ms…
“Polemic and superficial” communications are “particularly worrying” when it comes from Church leadership, including bishops, pastors, and prominent lay leaders,” the Vatican has said in a new pastoral message. In the 20-page pastoral message about the use of social media, the Vatican continued: “These not only cause division in the community but also give permission…
A new Catholic school opened in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s constituency will be a popular choice for families in the area, the Taoiseach said. Mr Varadkar was speaking at the opening ceremony for Edmund Rice College in Castleknock on the site of the former Phoenix Park racecourse. “It was a long time coming, but the day…
The Irish Association of Palliative Carers (IAPC) has called for assisted suicide legislation to be rejected as legalisation will harm the rights of vulnerable people and erode trust between doctors and patients. Their call comes as a Dáil committee discusses proposed ‘Dying with Dignity’ legislation, which seeks to mandate healthcare professionals to perform assisted suicide.…
St Teresa’s parish, Donore Avenue in Dublin 8 has unveiled two new stained glass windows commemorating those who died during the Covid-19, at the Feast of Pentecost on May 28. The parish pastoral council worked for 18 months, in conjunction with Abbey Stained Glass Studios in Kilmainham, to design the two windows. They represent aspects…
Pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Armagh flocked to Lourdes Marian Shrine for their annual pilgrimage from Wednesday May 24 to Saturday 27. Bishop Michael Router accompanied the pilgrims for their week of prayer and healing at the famous shrine in southwestern France. While heavy rain spoiled the chances for the torchlit procession, it didn’t dampen…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones