The parish priest of the family who died when their car slipped off Buncrana pier said it was the “biggest tragedy” he has had to deal with in 43 years as a priest and the community has been numbed by shock. Sean McGrotty (46), his sons Mark (12) and Evan (8), his mother-in-law Ruth Daniels…

Grace Rooney (6) with her granny Olivia help bless a statue of St Kevin after it was moved from its original position in St Kevin’s Hall in north Belfast – which is being demolished – to St Kevin’s primary

The Church’s crisis pregnancy support agency is restructuring its services to meet changing patterns of use, writes Greg Daly Cura Crisis Pregnancy Support Services has announced the closure of its Kilkenny, Tralee, Ennis, Thurles, Limerick, Athlone and Wexford centres over the coming months. All Cura services, including drop-in services, will from now on be delivered…

Parish activity in public spaces can be a kind of “neutral ground” allowing Catholics to reconnect with the Church, a priest involved in a Tralee outreach exercise has said. ‘Mercy in the Square, Mercy in Manor’ saw priests from Tralee and neighbouring parishes, as well as Killarney’s Franciscan community spending six hours over last Saturday…

Crystal Swing star Mary Murray-Burke has said she was “shocked” after being told by a researcher on a prominent radio programme not to discuss her faith as it might “offend” listeners. The singer told The Irish Catholic that she was keen to talk about a recent trip to Medjugorje on the show but was told…

The slain nuns of Aden lived out their faith to the last, writes Paul Keenan “We will continue our service to the poor and needy.” Of the many statements issued in response to the callous slaughter of four nuns in Yemen on March 4, the quietly defiant promise from the victims’ own Missionaries of Charity…

A Columban missionary who was held for ransom by militants in the Philippines has raised doubts on reports that the leader of the kidnapper gang was killed by security forces at the weekend. Fr Michael Sinnott, originally from Co. Wexford, was snatched outside his house in Pagadian City in October 2009 and held hostage for…

Weekend Dublin shoppers were recently introduced to Pope Francis’ message of mercy thanks to a team of parish volunteers working from a ‘Mercy pop up shop’. A rota of parishioners spent a sunny Saturday working from a former hairdressers in the main shopping area of Ballyfermot as part of the ‘24 hours for the Lord’…

Pilgrims from the parishes in the St Joseph cluster in the Diocese of Killaloe (Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, Ballinlough, Bekan and Knock) at the Door of Mercy, marking the end of their pilgrimage to Knock Shrine on Sunday for the ‘Engaging the Heart’ weekend.

Sarah MacDonald One hundred years after a unique All-Ireland football final was played among the men interned in the wake of the 1916 Rising in Frongoch in north Wales, an RTÉ documentary revisits the scene and reveals the story behind the match between Kerry and Louth. In the wake of the 1916 Easter Rising, over…