Donations remained strong in 2019, but the effects of Covid-19 cast a shadow over the future, writes Ruadhán Jones On the surface of it, the annual report for 2019/20 from Trócaire is a positive one, in so far as these ever are. However, the arrival of Covid-19 hangs as a cloud over both fundraising and development…

The Church will not grow through fresh strategies alone, but only when priests underline the importance of God’s love for everyone, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has insisted. Speaking in Dublin’s pro-cathedral on Tuesday during the ordination to the priesthood of Fr Frank Drescher, Dr Martin insisted that the Church must change to meet the needs of…

The Archdiocese of Dublin, along with many other dioceses, brought their yearly Lourdes pilgrimage online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those remembered in their first ‘Virtual Pilgrimage to Lourdes’, which took place last week, were people who lost their lives since the pandemic began, those who are ill, and frontline workers. It’s the second time…

A number TDs have said proposers of the ‘Dying with Dignity Bill’ are “profoundly unaware of the overwhelmingly negative impact” of euthanasia laws. The bill, proposed by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, seeks to legalise the practice of assisted suicide in Ireland. Independent TD Carol told The Irish Catholic that the bill is “manipulative” and provides…

Female inmates in Ireland’s largest women’s prison, the Dóchas Centre in Dublin, are subjected to xenophobic and threatening abuse and suffer chronic overcrowding according to a chaplain’s report. The 2018 report, seen by the Irish Examiner, was scathing of the conditions inmates face. It alleges there is overcrowding, with between 130 and 150 inmates being…

The Government’s six-month Covid-19 plan, announced on Tuesday, proposes bans on all religious services except funerals and weddings for level three warnings upward. The country is currently at a level two warning, the maximum being five, which means religious services can take place with up to 50 people attending. The plan recognises the need to…

Premiums refund because of closures EXCLUSIVE Hard-pressed parishes feeling the effects of financial pressure due to Covid-19 restrictions will receive rebates on their insurance premiums, The Irish Catholic can reveal. Priests have welcomed the decision by the main insurer of Church property that parishes will receive refunds due to lockdown and the fact that many…

Ahead of the upcoming Budget, the Irish Hospice Foundation has renewed calls for a whole-of-government strategy for end-of-life and bereavement care. The charity – dedicated to death, dying and bereavement, is urging the Government in a pre-Budget submission to invest in healthcare infrastructure and adequately support end-of-life and bereavement services to ensure the country can…

Ireland’s new European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has been a prominent supporter of Church-state dialogue in the EU and an outspoken defender of the rights of Christians in parts of the world where they face persecution. Ms McGuinness – who has often spoken about her Catholic Faith – maintained a long silence on the issue of…

Dutch artist Bas Uterwijk’s depiction of Jesus has gone viral on Twitter, with users struck by the relatability and warmth of the visage. Commenting on the image, Dr Paul Caffrey of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin explained different aspects of the picture and its development. “The portrait is produced in…