The synodal journey is a “pathway not a runway” and will not give an “instant solution”, Archbishop Francis Duffy said during his homily for his installation Mass as Archbishop of Tuam. Archbishop Duffy was installed in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Tuam on Sunday, January 9, taking the reins from Archbishop Michael Neary who served…
Pro-religious freedom groups have welcomed the decision of Europe’s highest court to reject a claim by a Belfast man that he was discriminated against after Christian bakers refused to make a cake with a message promoting same-sex marriage. In a definitive judgement delivered this morning (Thursday) the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said the…
In situations of extreme poverty, war or civil tensions, 22 Catholic church workers were murdered in 2021, according to Fides, the Vatican’s missionary news agency. The 13 priests, one religious brother, two religious sisters and six laypeople gave witness to their faith “in impoverished, degraded social contexts, where violence is the rule of life, the…
A priest at the funeral of the third victim of a road crash in Co. Tyrone said his community has paid a great price for the failure to upgrade the A5. Fr Michael O’Dwyer made his comments as hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of Nathan Corrigan (20). Petey McNamee (20) from Sixmilecross and…
Renowned sports broadcaster Marty Morrissey has recently spoken of how his belief in the afterlife has increased since the death of his mother, Peggy, in a car accident last December. Speaking to comedian Tommy Tiernan on his RTE Radio One show, ‘The Marty Morrissey Show’ on Monday, Mr Morrissey expressed how in spite of the…
In “fighting the battles of the past, we learn little”, Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown said in his new year’s homily, ahead of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday – also called the Bogside Massacre – happened January 30, 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, when British soldiers shot and killed 14…
The bishops’ new year addresses called for dialogue and education around elections, commemorations and the vaccine gap, writes Ruadhán Jones A number of Irish bishops dedicated their new year’s addresses to questions of justice and peace in Ireland in 2022. The year ahead will see elections in Northern Ireland, centenaries and commemorations across the island of…
Staff reporter St Mary’s High School Downpatrick’s Choir are raising funds for Catholic charity Cuan Mhuire “during this time of desperate need”. The school choir would typically visit Cuan Mhuire’s Newry residents at Christmas, but this couldn’t go ahead in 2021 due to Covid-19. Instead, the choir released a recording of the carol See Amid…
Although the long-established impact of Covid-19 on faith and worship has been extensively documented, positive news has emerged as Radio Maria announced that it has seen texts, calls and general engagement triple when compared to figures compiled before the pandemic, with the station being used as a faith-based resource by those who were deprived of…
A lay Catholic organisation held three rosary rallies in Dublin in the run up to Christmas to bring the “true joy” of Christmas to people, and to oppose secularisation. The Irish Society for Christian Civilisation (ISFCC) held the Christmas rallies on O’Connell Street on December 4, 11 and 18. The participants prayed the rosary and…
Chai Brady
Michael Kelly
Ruadhán Jones