The Diocese of Down and Connor presented nine schools across the diocese with the annual ‘Spirit of Catholic Education Award’ to pay tribute to the “inspiring work” they have done. The ceremony was held in St Mary’s University College on Monday, January 24, during Catholic Schools Week, which runs from January 23-30. It was organised by the…
Bishop Donal McKeown encouraged students to “live life to the full”, as he celebrated Mass to launch Catholic schools’ week 2022. Jesus wants us “to be full of love and life”, the bishop of Derry said, adding that this “is the message that Catholic schools have always tried to communicate by word and by deed”.…
Bishop Leahy launches new religious education programme Bishop Brendan Leahy launched Credible Catholic, a new religious education programme for Catholic Voluntary Secondary School in Ireland, January 26. Credible Catholic is “a wonderful programme that quenches the thirst of the mind, expands the outreach of the heart and points in the direction of doing many good…
Pope Francis is set to open the 4 Corners Festival January 30, with a pre-recorded a personal video message.
The Government’s decision to apply VAT to devotional candles used for personal prayer is “mean spirited” and will have a significant effect on churches that have struggled during the pandemic, parishes have warned. Msgr John Byrne of Portlaoise parish called the timing “really unfortunate”, as parishioners are facing unprecedented rises in the cost of living…
The Congregation of Holy Cross has appointed Valentina Culurgioni to be the new postulator for the sainthood cause of Holy Cross Father Patrick Peyton. Born in Co. Mayo in 1909, Fr Peyton, was most well known as the “rosary priest”, and famously coined the phrase, “The family that prays together, stays together”. Fr Peyton was also a…
Staff reporter Christian Churches in the Middle East face a “perilous type of existence” which has highlighted the need for them to work together, an Irish priest has said ahead of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) 2022. The WPCU runs from January 18-25 on the theme ‘We saw his star in the…
Ashling Murphy was remembered for her great faith, talents and the love she brought to her friends and family at her funeral on Tuesday in St Brigid’s Church in Mount Bolus, Co. Offaly. Parish priest of Kilcormac and Killoughey Fr Michael Meade said of Ms Murphy, “in life she cherished the Gospels”, and that the…
Well-known law professor and political commentator Larry Donnelly has opposed calls to “eliminate” single-sex schools from Ireland, calling for freedom of choice. Mr Donnelly – who attended a single-sex secondary school in Boston – told The Irish Catholic that an “awful lot of” of young boys and girls “can benefit greatly from single-sex education”. Acknowledging…
Following the discovery of “collusive behaviour” in the North between members of the RUC, the UDR and paramilitary loyalist group the North Antrim UDA, an Irish priest has said the Police Ombudsman’s report was “damning”. Fermanagh-based Fr Joe McVeigh said the findings of Operation Greenwich, which looked at 19 murders carried out by the group…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones