A Dublin homeless charity has issued an “urgent” Lenten appeal to protect the future of a Sunday dinner service they provide every week for over 300 vulnerable people. Increasing numbers of service users and insufficient funding from the State has put pressure on Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), who are keen to protect the Sunday dinner’s…
Category: Irish News
Differences are secondary say Ireland’s Mormons after Pope meeting
A momentous meeting between the President of the Mormon Church and Pope Francis shows “at the moment there are things that are more important” than some big theological differences. The Mormon Church is officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (LDS). Ireland’s spokesperson John Connolly said that although LDS Church baptisms…
Ancient church ‘spectacular’ backdrop for St Patrick
Strandhill, one of the most stunning seaside villages in Ireland, will be front and centre for this year’s St Patrick’s festival celebrations, as Mass for St Patrick’s day comes live from the Sligo location on RTÉ1 at 11am. The village at the western edge of Sligo Bay has a close association with St Patrick, who…
Top marks for Mark
Famous Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg has offered his love, prayers and blessings to people across the world, in observance of Ash Wednesday. The popular celebrity, well-known from movies like Ted and Transformers, posted a special message to his 12 million Instagram followers at the beginning of the Lenten season. “It’s here – one of my…
Chaplains key to boosting student uni experience – claim
Chaplaincy services continue to play a vital role in the experience of third level students in Ireland and abroad, the chair of the Third Level Chaplains Association of Ireland has said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic following a gathering of third level chaplains in Rome organised by the European Episcopal Conference, Fr Ger Dunne OP…
Marriage bolsters family life, survey shows
Married couples with children are more likely to be satisfied with their relationships and family life than their unmarried peers, according to a new international survey. The Global Family and Gender Survey looked at family trends in 11 countries including Ireland. It found while 18% of married couples have had ‘serious doubts’ in the past…
In Brief
Warm tributes paid to Monaghan priest Clogher’s Bishop Larry Duffy has paid tribute to Fr Brendan McCague after it was announced last weekend the Carrickmacross priest is to retire from active ministry after almost 46 years of service in different parts of the diocese and in various roles. “Until my ordination as bishop I worked with Fr Brendan in Carrickmacross…
Release Asia Bibi, Irish charity urges Pakistani ambassador
An Irish human rights charity has called on Pakistan’s new ambassador to Ireland to ensure that religiously persecuted Asia Bibi and her husband are granted permission to leave the country. Church in Chains, an Irish charity that encourages prayer and action in support of persecuted Christians worldwide, wrote to Mr Sardar Shuja Alam today requesting…
Young man arrested over ‘desecration’ and theft of 800-year-old skull at Dublin crypt
A young man has been arrested for the ransacking and “desecration” of an historic church crypt in Dublin. The person is in his 20s and was arrested yesterday (March 7) over the break-in at St Michan’s Church of Ireland Church. The incident involved the theft of the head of an 800-year-old mummy known as ‘the…
Outrage over Catholic patient list ban
Religious and lay people have expressed concern and outrage following an alleged letter from the HSE which bans priests from easily identifying Catholic patients in hospitals. According to Fr Michael Toomey of Clonmel’s Ss Peter’s and Pauls, priests and clergy will no longer be provided with a list of parishioners who are in-patients in South…