Bishop Noel Treanor of Down & Connor has condemned an arson attack at St Patrick’s Church on Belfast’s Donegall Street which caused significant smoke damage to the building’s interior. In a statement reacting to news that someone had set fire to curtains covering the church’s Year of Mercy door last Monday, Bishop Treanor said: “This…

Experts on the translation of the Roman Missal have cautioned that any expectation of change to the translation of the Mass currently in use are “a long shot”. It comes amid reports from Rome that Pope Francis has established a new commission to review the guidelines that led to the 2011 translation, the language of…

Fianna Fáil’s Senator Aidan Davitt has called on the Government to invite Pope Francis to address the joint Houses of the Oireachtas during his visit to Ireland in 2018. Senator Davitt said during a radio interview that the Pope’s visit to attend the World Meeting of Families would present “an ideal opportunity” for the Pontiff…

Éamonn Meehan to lead international development network Éamonn Meehan, executive director of the Irish bishops’ aid and development agency Trócaire, has been appointed president of the International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity (CIDSE), the Catholic development network. In accepting the new role, Mr Meehan pledged himself to contributing to the change the world so badly…

Staff Reporter Members of the Syro-Malabar community in Northern Ireland have offered prayers for the safe release of Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian Salesian missing in Yemen since he was kidnapped by Islamic extremists last March. Joining with a novena initiated by the Salesian community worldwide, Syro-Malabars attended a day of adoration of the Blessed…

The Bishops’ Council for Education has offered a welcome for Minister Richard Bruton’s words on religious education in Catholic schools and his proposals for a consultative process on any future divestment of schools. In a statement on behalf of the Council, its chair, Bishop Brendan Kelly said “The Council for Education will study these proposals…

A Mullingar-based priest’s literal interpretation of ‘tending to the flock’ has struck a chord across his rural parish. With farmers working through a busy period of lambing Fr Robert McGivney undertook to bless lambs on the farm of friends in his community, an act which met with such positivity among others that the priest has…

Irish people frustrated by the escalating homelessness crisis have been urged to give vent to their feelings by offering their time volunteering for charities working in the frontline. The call comes after Irish bishops discussed the ongoing issue of homelessness during their meeting with Pope Francis in Rome at the weekend and told him about…

Oscar-winning singer Jennifer Hudson has spoken of the strength she found in faith after the trauma of losing her family to murder. The star, currently a panellist on television’s The Voice, became famous after an appearance on the reality show American Idol led her to a starring role in the film Dreamgirls, for which she…

Just 1.2% of applicants for admission turned down by schools in Dublin were on the basis of no baptismal certificate, a new survey by the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA) has shown. Prompted to undertake the study amid an ongoing debate around the so-called ‘baptism barrier’ and Minister for Education Richard Bruton’s proposed consultation…