Editorial Comment Turning a minority into a creative minority   Amidst the obvious hurt and disappointment felt in the wake of the passing of the referendum on the Eighth Amendment, those who stood up for the voiceless unborn and voted ‘No’ on May 25 can feel rightly proud of their stance. This is not a…

Priest describes remark as ‘offensive’   There has been mixed responses from Catholics after Bishop Kevin Doran said those who voted ‘Yes’ in the abortion referendum should consider Confession, with some dubbing it “offensive”. Laois-based priest and author Fr Paddy Byrne said that dozens of priests were “absolutely furious” at the bishop’s comments, saying that…

The Bishop of Killaloe has said he hopes to bring more priests from India and Africa to Ireland in a bid to tackle the current vocation crisis. Speaking about the increasing number of international priests now ministering in Ireland, Dr Fintan Monahan said that “they’re an indication of the changing Faith of the culture in…

The bishop of Derry warned students of a culture of “throwaway relationships” which has led to an “epidemic of loneliness” at an end of year Mass this week. Speaking at a Mass celebrating the upcoming World Meeting of Families in St Mary’s School in Limavady, Bishop Donal Mckeown said we live in an environment “where…

A young Malian migrant said “God helped me” after becoming an internet sensation this week for climbing four floors to rescue a child hanging from a balcony in France. Dubbed by fans ‘Le-Spiderman’, France’s President Emmanuel Macron gave the former illegal immigrant citizenship status for his courage. He was also offered a job by the…

Almost three out of four Irish Catholics now believe it is time for the Church to mount a tactical retreat from education and divest many schools to the State, according to an online poll of readers of The Irish Catholic. The findings also reveal that people believe this will allow the Church to devote more…

With news that Ireland’s favourite funeral song is Andrea Bocelli’s classic hit ‘Time To Say Goodbye’, composers and musicians are insisting that liturgical music is still relevant today. In response to the research about the song, composer of Catholic liturgical music and a contemporary Christian songwriter Ian Callanan, said that he wasn’t surprised about the…

Lough
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 up Bus Éireann this week launched its Lough Derg bus service for this year’s pilgrimage season. Operating for four days a week, the Route 486 service begins on June 1 and ends on August 13. Based on demand, the service will be available from Friday to Monday each week, including the upcoming June Bank Holiday,…

St Colman’s Society for Catholic Liturgy has announced that the Fota IX International Liturgy Conference will be held in Cork, from July 7-9 this year. The subject of the conference is on the divine office entitled ‘Psallite Sapienter: The Liturgy of the Hours’ and will be explored by a panel of experts drawn from the United…

Hundreds of people attended a candlelit vigil this week after the body of an 18-year-old, described as a “kind young man” by the parish priest, was found in a field in Louth. Fr Michael Murtagh, PP of Dunleer parish, said he saw Cameron almost every day, and that he was “a delightful kid to meet…