Becoming a priest in Ireland today “can truly be described as an adventure”, according to the Bishop of Ferns. Speaking at the ordination of Fr Billy Caulfield in Horeswood Parish Church in Wexford on Sunday, Bishop Denis Brennan told the new priest a vocation was an adventure. He said at times “you will feel the appreciation people have for your…

Inside Christian communities finally liberated from ISIS With the ongoing retreat of so-called Islamic State in the face of an Iraqi army offensive, many Christians are speaking of the horror theyendured under the Islamist regime. This week, we report from northern Iraq which has been ravaged by violence and where Christians have been targeted for…

Parents have expressed their outrage at the ‘Repeal the Eighth’ movement after campaigners handed out leaflets to children at the gates of a Dublin school. Members of the ‘Dublin North West Repeal the Eighth’ group, a collection of pro-choice residents of Dublin 9 and 11 who say they are “committed to campaigning across our constituency…

The new Bishop of Raphoe has been described as a man of “dynamic service”. The Vatican announced on Friday that Pope Francis has appointed Fr Alan McGuckian SJ to succeed Bishop Philip Byoce OCD in Raphoe. He will be the first Jesuit bishop in Ireland in over 200 years. “Fr McGuckian’s background in education and…

Dublin’s Christchurch Cathedral is set to host 180 choristers from across the USA next month at a concert in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation. The second Dublin Choral Festival, to be held in the cathedral at 8pm on July 8, will see the American choristers from states as far apart as New Mexico and…

The Church needs to combat homelessness by lobbying politicians and Government according to a well-known activist. Fr Peter McVerry said that the homeless crisis in Ireland is a political problem, and no matter how many Catholic charities such as Focus Ireland, Crosscare and the Peter McVerry Trust get involved the fundamental issues won’t be solved.…

Medical experts have poured cold water on reports of a vision of the Virgin Mary at Knock shrine at the weekend, advising that staring at the sun can cause blurred vision. The Association of Optometrists Ireland warned of the “very high risk of a retinal burn” after a video was posted on the internet of…

Parishes that don’t employ a youth minister reap the benefits of other parishes’ investments according to a Galway priest. Fr Brendan Kilcoyne spoke at a conference last week designed to showcase youth ministry options for parishes in Ireland. He urged young people to engage in youth ministry, saying it is “urgent” and “profoundly meaningful” as…

Ireland is delivering 100 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to help refugees from South Sudan who are fleeing their homes. This includes tarpaulins, blankets, cooking sets and mosquito nets which are being airlifted to refugee camps in Uganda. South Sudan has been embroiled in a civil conflict since December 2013 with refugees escaping to neighbouring countries.…

There has been a decline in Irish abortion numbers for the 15th consecutive year. According to the official statistics released by the British Department of Health, 3,265 women travelled from Ireland to England to have an abortion. This number stems from a continual drop since 2001 where the number of Irish abortions was 6,673. “Reasons…