The Society for African Missions were “shocked” to be shortlisted by the UN for their work to tackle desertification in the Sahel region. Fr Maurice Henry said it was great for the order “to be recognised” beside organisations with massive resources aiming to mitigate the climate crisis. They were shortlisted along with eight others, but…
Category: Irish News
Poorest can’t pay price for climate change action – SVP
Any levies or taxes introduced by the Government to mitigate carbon emissions should not impact those living in poverty, the President of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) in Ireland has said. “The vast majority of the people that we visit rely on fossil fuels to heat their homes,” Kieran Stafford told The…
Charity welcomes acquittal of human trafficking victim
A Christian charity in Northern Ireland has welcomed the decision to clear a Vietnamese man of all criminal charges on account of him being a victim of human trafficking. Hung Van Nguyen (43), who had been living in Co. Tyrone, became the first person to be exonerated under NI’s Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice…
SMA shortlisted by UN for decades of ‘tireless work’
The Society of African Missionaries (SMA) is en route to receiving a major UN award for their efforts to tackle desertification. Fr Maurice Henry, a member of the SMA’s Council for the Province of Ireland, was informed this week that his order were shortlisted for the 2019 ‘Land for Life Award’. The UNCCD (UN Convention…
Bishop joins Capuchins in apology for homily
Ossory’s Bishop Dermot Farrell has said he was “saddened” to hear of “inappropriate language and sentiments” in a homily preached in Kilkenny’s Capuchin friary over the weekend. Onetime UCC chaplain Fr Tom Forde had spoken on Saturday about “the abuse of drugs and alcohol, adultery, fornication and homosexuality, as well as in the acceptance of…
Vatican green light sought for GAA-Church land deal
Clonliffe site may attract large bids A Dublin land sale is on the brink of finalisation as the GAA and the Archdiocese of Dublin await Vatican approval for the lucrative deal. The sale of more than 19 acres of land at Clonliffe College, Drumcondra, the site of Holy Cross Seminary, is at a critical stage…
Jesuit schools set for cash windfall
Chai Brady and Colm Fitzpatrick Jesuit schools have welcomed a commitment to use proceeds from a multi-million euro land sale to help poor children and ensure the “survival” of the order’s mission. With a price tag of €55m on the Jesuits’ Milltown Park campus in Dublin, school ethos and bursaries were highlighted as being “critical”…
Senator calls for investigation after improper burial
Independent Senator Rónán Mullen has criticised the circumstances around the burial of deceased asylum seeker, Sylva Takula, who died in 2018 and was buried by the State without ceremony last month, with no notice to friends and associates. Senator Mullen said there should be an investigation to establish how such insensitive treatment occurred despite repeated…
Decision to jail two women in prostitution case criticised
Laws against prostitution should be used to “tackle” sex buyers and ‘pimps’, a charity has said after a ruling saw two women jailed in Kildare. Dedicated to supporting people in prostitution, Catholic-founded Ruhama has criticised a decision to jail two women for nine months for running a brothel. A premises in Newbridge was raided in…
Online prayers and candles at religion’s ‘Munster finals’
Virtual candles and online petitions will be high-tech ways of giving Limerick’s Redemptorist community a global reach. Dubbed by one man “the Munster final of religion”, the annual Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is expected to draw thousands of people from all over north Munster and beyond. In this multi-media age,…

Chai Brady



Greg Daly




