Pope’s Capuchin Day Centre visit inspires plea Greg Daly and Colm Fitzpatrick Taking their lead from the Pope’s outreach to the most marginalised in our communities, Church leaders have urged the Government to make tackling Ireland’s homelessness crisis its top priority. According to ‘A Room at the Inn?’, a pastoral letter from the hierarchy on homelessness, housing…
Down & Connor Faith and Life Convention The radical challenge set before Catholics is to learn a new language, writes Michael Kelly One of the Pope’s closest advisers has urged the Church in Ireland to continue to work to build a culture of co-responsibility between laypeople and clergy. Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga was speaking…
Down & Connor Faith and Life Convention We need to learn a new way to reach those who do not feel themselves part of the Church, writes Paula McKeown The last Saturday in September is now permanently blocked out in my diary, as it is on that date that we in the Diocese of…
A song from the first album in almost five years by 2000s Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne has entered the US Christian music charts at number five. Ms Lavigne’s new single, ‘Head Above Water’, addresses how she turned to God whilst battling Lyme disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2014. She has described the…
Social media and a culture of brief sexual encounters is leading to loneliness among students and young people according to a university chaplain. Commenting on a BBC study that found 40% of people aged 16-24 often or very often feel lonely, Fr Leon Ó Giolláin SJ said he was “not surprised”. A culture that encourages…
The Irish Church should divest Catholic schools if they’re not providing a religious education, a Waterford and Lismore parish priest has said. Fr Michael Mullins said that it’s better for Catholics to become a “stronger minority” and that Catholic education is “decapitated” without religious teaching. “Education is more than just the accumulation of facts. It…
A prominent pro-life group has accused the Government of “railroading” abortion legislation which will leave no opportunity to make “life-saving amendments” to the bill. The Pro-Life Campaign (PLC) said Minister Simon Harris is “shutting down debate” on the forthcoming abortion legislation which is due to be introduced to the Dáil this week. Despite expectations, the…
The Government needs to “wake up” and commit to protecting Christians who are persecuted globally for their faith, an Irish charity has said. Church in Chains, an outreach group which focuses on raising awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians world-wide, said that our Government is failing to protect the rights of religious groups. Launching…
An Irish nun has said the number of patients who were treated without hospital beds last month is “unbelievable” and the Government should figure out a solution. Sr Pat Donovan, a member of the Catholic Healthcare Council of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, speaking in a personal capacity said that it’s “unbelievable in this day…
Tens of thousands of people are expected to pray the Rosary at hundreds of locations around Ireland this weekend. Organisers of the Rosary on the Coast hope between 30,000 and 50,000 people will participate in gatherings on Sunday, October 7, at over 300 locations throughout the country, mostly on the coast but also in churches,…
Greg Daly
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick