Tributes have been paid to Fr Gerry Reynolds, a priest credited for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process, who has died aged 80. The Redemptorist priest based at Clonard Monastery in west Belfast, died in the city’s Royal Victoria Hospital on Monday (November 30) after a short illness. Fr Reynolds, a Co. Limerick…

New research by the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) shows that securing accommodation was the most important factor in helping a person move away from criminality. The ICPO, a pastoral outreach of the Irish Bishops Conference, works with approximately 1,200 Irish people imprisoned in more than 30 countries around the world, offering information, support…

Pictured at the launch of Ireland & Vatican II: Essays Theological, Pastoral and Educational at the offices of The Irish Catholic in Dublin are editor Fr Niall Coll and contributor Baroness Nuala O’Loan. Fr Gerry Reynolds CSsR was also a contributor to the book. The featured essays explore areas such as education, human rights, social…

Staff reporter A leading academic has claimed that if it were not for the vocation crisis, there would be little appetite to involve lay people in the Church here. Fr Oliver Rafferty SJ, Director of Irish Studies at Boston College, insisted that “if there was not a shortage of priests in the contemporary Church the mind-set…

The President of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth has rejected a former professor’s claim that the college focuses on producing “ecclesiastical functionaries” rather than teaching its seminarians theology.  Msgr Hugh Connolly told The Irish Catholic that the remarks made by Jesuit Fr Oliver Rafferty were “sweeping” and “unfair”. Writing in Ireland & Vatican II, Fr Rafferty,…

Pictured with Archbishop Eamon Martin at Patrick’s College, Maynooth after being conferred with honorary doctorate degrees to commemorate the 1400th anniversary of the death of Saint Columbanus are (l-r) Kevin O’Neill, SSC, Superior General of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban, Bishop Gianni Ambrosio of Piacenza-Bobbio, Italy and Mr Mauro Steffenini, San Colombano al Lambro,…

World renowned singer and composer, Fr Liam Lawton, will perform a Christmas concert in Galway in aid of COPE Galway for their work with the city’s homeless. The concert is presented by the Sacred Heart Messenger magazine and the Jesuit Centre of Spirituality and Culture and will take place on Tuesday, December 15 at St…

The Bishop of Waterford & Lismore has described the pre-marriage course offered by Catholic agency ACCORD as “very inadequate”, but insists it shows the Church’s commitment to help couples prepare for a life-long commitment. Bishop Phonsie Cullinan questioned whether the State had any real interest in marriage, despite platitudes around the referendum on same-sex marriage…

In this Year of Consecrated Life the parish of Drumlish/Ballinamuck in Co. Longford responded to Pope Francis’ call to ‘Wake up the World’ by arranging a special celebration to honour the priests and religious who were natives of the parish. Organisers said it was relatively easy to put on paper the names and photos of…

Govt dragging its feet, delaying new patrons