Thousands of families representing dioceses across Ireland gathered at Knock Shrine on Monday, for the launch of the one-year countdown to the much anticipated World Meeting of Families (WMOF2018) in Dublin. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, WMOF2018 president, led the celebration which launched the preparatory programme for parishes and a new icon of the Holy Family which…

Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin is inviting families in his diocese to a ‘Picnic in Punchestown’ on Sunday, August 27 (1-6pm). The picnic is part of diocesan preparations for next year’s World Meeting of Families and also aims to gather all the families of the diocese together for an event filled with fun,…

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have celebrated the First Profession of five brothers in the novitiate community in Myross Woods in Co. Cork: Bro. Jaime Rosique MSC (Spanish Province), Bro. Piotr Żłobiński MSC (South German-Austrian Province), Bro. Domenico Rosa MSC (Italian Province), Bro. Giacomo Gelardi (Irish Province) and Bro. Daniel Filipek (South German-Austrian Province).

The solar eclipse as seen from Pope John Paul II School in Hendersonville, Tennessee on August 21.

The newly ordained Bishop of Raphoe has urged Stormont to support an Irish Language Act – a contentious issue in Northern Ireland. Bishop Alan McGuckian, a fluent Irish speaker and scholar who translated a biography of St Ignatius of Layola into Irish, called on politicians to agree on the act. “Given the support there is…

A remembrance service was held last Sunday for those who died in the Omagh bombing 19 years ago. The prayer service took place in a memorial garden in the Co. Tyrone town to remember the 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, who were killed in the Real IRA attack on August 15, 1998.…

Staff Reporter The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) has been forced to amend a media statement after inaccurately describing members of the permanent diaconate as laypeople rather than clerics. In a press release issued last week, headed ‘Association of Catholic Priests Statement on the Permanent Lay Diaconate’, the ACP leadership committed themselves to backing Fr…

Attempts to compel priests to reveal information about abuse learned in Confession would be legally unsustainable and probably contrary to Ireland’s Constitution, a leading expert on constitutional law has said. “If you’re given an undertaking at some point and then act to your detriment as a result of that undertaking, the law shouldn’t turn around…

A Franciscan missionary priest has been posthumously honoured by the Zimbabwean Government for his contributions to achieving independence in the country and his subsequent charitable work there. Fr Paschal Slevin, who died in Dublin on May 1 this year at the age of 83, was given the highest honour reserved for foreigners, The Royal Order…

Dublin’s first Cycle of Light in aid of NCBI The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) will hold its first ‘Cycle of Light’ event on August 25. This event will see 100 people cycle into the darkness of night for sight loss. From 8.30pm until dark participants will cycle from Dalkey to Howth…