The Church should use next year’s World Meeting of Families to highlight the need for more family-friendly economic models, a leading economist has said. “The World Meeting of Families should be about families in the practical everyday circumstances, the hustle and bustle of what life is for all of us,” UCD’s Prof. Ray Kinsella told…

The oldest Catholic Church in Belfast will be reopening for Mass at the end of August, with renovation work to be fully completed by next month. St Mary’s has been undergoing extensive restorations since May, resulting in the Living Youth building, beside the church in Chapel Lane, becoming the venue for Mass since July 17.…

Members of a small Co. Leitrim parish have taken the future of the primary school into their own hands by advertising for families to move to the area. Parishioners in the picturesque village of Kiltyclogher in north Leitrim have launched a nationwide campaign ‘KiltyLive’ to advertise their rural community in the hope that families will…

New stations blessed at St Feichin’s Mass Eleven priests concelebrated this year’s annual Mass of St Feichin, patron saint of Abbey parish in Co. Galway, for a congregation of over 450. Chief celebrant was Fr John Hickey, CC Abbey parish and the homilist was Fr Pat Conroy PP. Fr Brendan Duggan of Athea, Co. Limerick…

Ireland’s first Jesuit bishop made a touching speech in which he commemorated his late sister, after he was ordained bishop of the Diocese of Raphoe on Sunday. Worshippers came in their droves to the ordination of Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, filling the Cathedral of Saints Eunan and Columba in Letterkenny, Donegal. Dr McGuckian, whose two…

Winnie Woodburn, 84, during last Sunday’s annual Croagh Patrick pilgrimage. Photo: CNS

Staff Reporter Taoiseach Leo Vardakar is right that Ireland’s homelessness crisis will not be solved in the Government’s lifetime, and the Government is to blame, a leading campaigner has said. Mr Varadkar’s comments on TV3’s Tonight with Vincent Brown revealed a profound ignorance of the nature of the crisis, Fr Peter McVerry told The Irish…

A leading historian has questioned the established idea of the Magdalene laundries, saying that the public view of them makes it difficult for a “fairer assessment to emerge”. Dr Jacinta Prunty, head of the Department of History in Maynooth University, recently published a book investigating the history of the laundries. One of the main points…

More creative ways are needed to draw young people towards the Mass and into a vibrant faith life, Bishop Phonsie Cullinan has said. Explaining how the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore has is seeking to employ a diocesan co-ordination for Faith formation and New Evangelisation, Bishop Cullinan told The Irish Catholic that huge efforts are…

As Katie Taylor’s career goes from strength to strength she has no problem expressing her faith. The professional boxer and Olympic gold medallist tweeted a photo of herself before her debut fight in the US last weekend wearing a t-shirt with the words “It is God who arms me with strength…” The boxer has spoken…