Editorial Comment It is almost two months since most Irish Catholics have been able to attend Mass. This is an unprecedented situation even in a land where the public worship of God by Catholics was forbidden and punishable by death. Churches in the North remain closed by order of the civil authorities, while according…
A student who lost his job last month is now delivering food to families in need six days a week on his bike. Oscar Little (21) volunteers his services to the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin, where he drops food to hostels for the homeless and families isolating in their homes. “My mum is the…
The Archdiocese of Armagh has begun a ‘virtual pilgrimage’ to Lourdes today to reach out to the 550 of pilgrims due to travel there this week but due to the coronavirus pandemic the pilgrimage was cancelled. Organisers have instead decided to conduct it virtually using social media channels. This will be available to watch through…
A Dublin priest who has been offering ‘carpark Confessions’ has said there has been a great response with dozens of people coming to receive the Sacrament. Fr Pat McKinley of Springfield/Brookfield/Jobstown parish, who is the Vicar Forane over Tallaght Deanery, has been offering Confessions in the car park of St Mark’s church with another priest…
Social justice campaigner Sr Stanislaus Kennedy has said it is “incredibly distressing” to learn of an increase in racist incidents across Ireland this year. The Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) has just released figures on racist incident reporting on hate speech, hate crime and discriminatory acts in the first quarter of 2020. Their statistics for…
Independent NUI Senator Rónan Mullen has accused the national broadcaster of editorialising around ethics. A report on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday referred to controversial academic Peter Singer as a “world-renowned ethicist”. Reacting on social media, Senator Mullen described this as “editorialising”. “Some of his views (e.g. on people with disability) are controversial…
While many priests and religious are in the frontline comforting and consoling those suffering from coronavirus and their loved ones, an Irish Dominican friar who is a trained doctor is back treating patients with Covid-19. Bro. Chris Gault OP, who has been studying for the priesthood with the Dominicans, has returned to his native Belfast…
Cavan-based Fr Martin Gilcreest has said that housebound parishioners are delighted that he can still make the traditional First Friday contact using the telephone. “This is a generation that Faith is very important to. It’s their foundation, it’s the one thing that keeps them grounded. “The fact that we’re making an effort at all is,…
Bishop Brendan Leahy [pictured] has said the pandemic has become a time for great personal reflection in his address after midday Mass on Sunday at St John’s Cathedral. He said one thing we have learned is that time is valuable and that we often complain of it disappearing in our modern world. “Suddenly, with the…
An international school-feeding charity is planning to provide meals to more than one million children at home as part of the Covid-19 response. Despite school closures due to the pandemic, Mary’s Meals will continue to deliver food to children in Malawi and Zambia by inviting their parents to collect rations to cook at home. Patricia…
Chai Brady