The Parish of Ss Mary and Peter in Arklow, Co. Wicklow continues its celebration of the Year of Mercy with a ‘Festival of Faith’ next week. The festival is spread over nine consecutive nights with a wide range and variety of speakers to encourage people in their faith and to emphasise the need for healing,…

Religious publishers Columba Press has entered an examinership process in a bid to survive and take advantage of improving market conditions, the company has said. Examinership is a process where companies with solid underlying businesses but excessive debts seek High Court protection while action is taken to ensure their survival. “We’ve entered the examinership in…

Large crowds are expected to turn out for the saint of lost things, when the relics of St Anthony of Padua return to Ireland next month. Last time the relics of St Anthony visited Ireland there were traffic jams in cities and towns around the country as devotees flocked to honour the much-loved 13th Century…

A group of US-based nuns set begin their ministry in Ireland later this year want to “pay back” the Church here for its missionary work in helping to spread the Faith across the world.  Three nuns from the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus congregation will take up residence in the Diocese of Waterford…

Historic trip to North is on the agenda

Shrule parish in Co. Galway recently hosted a weekend of 1916 commemorations in memory of Fr Henry Feeney, chaplain to the Galway Brigade. The celebrations included a recital of poetry written by Patrick Pearse and WB Yeats and a presentation by Dr Conor McNamara on ‘Fr Feeney, Hero of the Galway Rebellion 1916’. On the…

Last Saturday 103 young people went on the annual Tuam DYC pilgrimage up Croagh Patrick, joined by the Papal Cross group from Elphin diocese who were led by Bishop Kevin Doran. Fr Shane Sullivan, pictured hearing a pilgrim’s Confession, was homilist at Mass on the summit.

Archbishop Michael Neary will preach at the 91st annual Eucharistic Procession in Cork to mark the Feast of Corpus Christi. Cork’s Eucharistic Procession began in 1926 and has become a major part of the Church calendar in the city. It will be led by Bishop John Buckley and an invitation has been offered to the…

Pop icon Lady Gaga has defended her right to speak about her Catholic faith after receiving what she felt was a criticism from a Catholic culture website. The singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, posted a photo to her Instagram account with her posing with Fr John Duffell of Blessed Sacrament Church in New York and…

The West is an accomplice to the genocide of Christians in Syria, a prominent Church leader from the country has said. Syrian Catholic Patriarch Mar Ignace Youssif III Younan has said in an interview that “the West is fueling the catastrophic tragedies we see unfolding before our eyes”, adding “we have said many times that…