Govt accused of reneging on deal with faith schools A senior Church official has accused politicians of hypocrisy over their criticism of Catholic schools. Fr Tom Deenihan also hit out at successive Governments for reneging on a 1997 deal that would guarantee the ethos of faith schools in return for the Church having fewer representatives…
The Lough Church in Cork City has reported a very busy and successful number of events to celebrate Catholic Schools Week, beginning on February 2 when the primary schools of the parish, Greenmount N.S. and Glasheen N.S. attended 10am Mass. The church was decorated from top to bottom with artwork provided by the children, who also provided…
Calum MacFarlane-Barrow, Sarah Moynihan, Glenn McDyre, Aoife Martin and Julianne Collins at the Mary’s Meals stand at the Divine Mercy Conference in the RDS, Dublin at the weekend. Photo: John McElroy
In response to the invitation of Pope Francis to mark the Year of Mercy in every diocese throughout the world, Bishop Denis Brennan has invited the people, religious and priests of the Diocese of Ferns to engage in three days of prayer at St Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy from March 8-10. In the coming weekends, specially…
The rights of religious organisations working in the areas of marriage, education and health are under threat because of “equality legislation that does not recognise the right to protect religious ethos”, Bishop Kevin Doran has said. The Bishop of Elphin made the remark in a talk called ‘How should a Catholic think about politics?’ that…
The National Pioneer Ball was first introduced to the Pioneer calendar in 1997 by a group of young pioneers from Limerick. The ball was a great success and it soon became an annual event, with the location rotating between the different provinces and attracting an attendance of over 300 people nationwide. This year, the 20th…
The late Princess of Wales developed a friendship with an Irish nun who offered her “prayers and support” during the public breakdown of her marriage, a series of letters, newly discovered in Ireland, reveal. Letters and a Christmas card sent by Princess Diana in 1992 to Sr Teresa of the Little Sisters of the Assumption…
American Catholics should take the lead in fighting “the scourge of anti-Islamic prejudice”, a US bishop has said. Speaking against the backdrop of the US’s first Catholic-Muslim National Dialogue, San Diego’s Bishop Robert McElroy warned that the US is witnessing “a new nativism”, which, he said, “the American Catholic community must reject and label for…
An Irish missionary based in the Philippines has described the homophobic comments of Filipino world boxing title holder Manny Pacquiao, as “deplorable”. Irish Columban missionary Fr Shay Cullen, who has lived in the Philippines for over 40 years working with street children, said the boxer’s remarks that “If men mate with men and women mate…
The president of the National Minorities Alliance of Pakistan (NMAP), has called on the Government of Punjab to end almost 60 years of discrimination against religious minorities and uphold the country’s constitution, which declares the equality of all citizens. Lala Robin Daniel issued his appeal just days after entering a formal complaint to Faisalabad’s Education…
Cathal Barry
Mags Gargan
Courtney McGrail
Greg Daly