Ongoing difficulties forced survivor’s hand The sole Irish member of the Pope’s child protection commission has stepped down, three years after joining the Vatican body. Dubliner Marie Collins, one of two abuse survivors who were founder members of the advisory body in March 2014, is understood to have informed the commission of her wish to…
The future of the Catholic boarding school sector faces a serious threat in a changed Ireland, following the closure of Cistercian College Roscrea, which has been described as “a very sad death knell”. The announcement of the closure of the college, at Mount St Joseph Abbey in Co. Offaly, means there are now just two…
A survey on proposals for a new primary school course in religion, beliefs and ethics used leading questions and drew from an unrepresentative sample, a prominent research institute has found. A study for the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) analysed an online survey conducted by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to…
A Co. Galway church will ‘move to the pace of modern life’ this Lent with a ‘drive-thru’ Ash Wednesday service and Lenten Petition box. Following discussions between PP Fr Paddy Mooney and the pastoral council of Glenamady church on how best to prepare for the Lenten season, it was recognised that something of a novel…
The winning team from St Mary’s University College, Belfast “gave thanks” at Knock Shrine after defying the odds in an incredible ‘David and Goliath’ football final. St Mary’s is the North’s only Catholic institution of higher education and with just over 1,000 students and less than a quarter of them male, the underdogs unseated the…
A Co. Kerry priest who lodged a formal complaint against RTÉ after a guest on The Late Late Show referred to the Eucharist as “haunted bread” said he is disappointed that the national broadcaster has chosen to view the incident as “provocative” but “not sacrilegious”. Speaking to The Irish Catholic this week following an email…
IC columnist named 'Distinguished Professor’ Columnist with The Irish Catholic, Michael W. Higgins has been named Distinguished Professor of Catholic Thought at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, USA. Prof. Higgins previously served as vice president for Mission and Catholic Identity and Professor of Religious Studies at the University. In his new role, Mr Higgins will…
The Iona Institute and the Pro Life Campaign (PLC) are among a number of life advocates set to address the Citizens’ Assembly next month. Following its own written submission to the Assembly as part of the consultation process around the gathering, Iona confirmed that it had received a formal invitation to make a 10-minute presentation…
A new community of the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother will be established in Roscommon at the invitation of the Bishop of Elphin. Last week Bishop Kevin Doran visited the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother Cantabria in the north of Spain to finalise the agreement with Mother Ana Maria…
The Presentation Brothers are hosting a series of Lenten talks which offer practical tips for living faith in Ireland today. The ‘Monday at the Monastery’ series of talks returns to the Presentation Brothers’ house in Glasthule, Co. Dublin for four Mondays during Lent. The series has proven popular since it began in 2013, as part…
Greg Daly
Paul Keenan
Mags Gargan