Category: Irish News

Maynooth to bolster links with top-level colleges

St Patrick’s College, Maynooth is set to strengthen its links with a number of top-level European colleges this year. The Kildare-based Pontifical University has been in discussions since 2013 with Heythrop College, London (Britain), Tilburg School of Catholic Theology, Utrecht (Holland) and the Newman Institute, Uppsala (Sweden) with a view to forming a strategic partnership.…

Vocations drive gets boost from generous grant

EXCLUSIVE ‘Delight’ at funding from Hilton Hotel fortune Efforts to promote vocations to religious life in Ireland will move up a gear in 2016 thanks to a generous grant from a US-based foundation set up by hotel billionaire Conrad Hilton, The Irish Catholic can reveal. Vocations Ireland, an umbrella organisation which helps religious orders to…

Jean Vanier and the Year of Mercy

Staff reporter Renowned Catholic thinker Jean Vanier will be the theme of an event in Dublin next week to mark the ‘Year of Mercy’. Mr Vanier is renowned for his founding of the L’Arche movement and his work with people living with developmental disabilities. US-based Prof. Michael W. Higgins, an expert on Vanier’s spirituality and author…

Marie-Claire Campbell (8) from Foxrock peering through some international flags as she listens to a speaker at the World Day of Prayer For Peace Mass celebrated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Foxrock, Dublin. Photo: John McElroy

Papal invitation drive by layman

A Catholic layman from Co. Kildare has taken it upon himself to create a Catholic drive towards inviting Pope Benedict to visit Ireland in time for the International Eucharistic Congress. Liam Prendergast has written to every parish in Ireland requesting that parish priests and other volunteers gather signatures of Catholics over the age of 16…

We must stand up for minority schools – priest

  A Donegal priest is standing in solidarity with his Church of Ireland counterpart to protest against budget cuts which could adversely affect not only the local parish school but 27 out of 31 Protestant schools in Co. Donegal. ‘Budget 2012 will inflict serious damage and reek havoc particularly on small schools throughout Ireland. This…

Many reasons to celebrate

  The community of Blanchardstown parish came together in large numbers last Wednesday to celebrate a combination of the feast day of St Brigid, parish patron, the journey to the Eucharistic Congress (IEC) and the beginning of a year of celebration for the 175th anniversary of St Brigid’s church. ”It is a group of celebration…