Govt dragging its feet, delaying new patrons

A group of 130 students from across the Diocese of Cloyne and a neighbouring diocese were presented with a Pope John Paul II Award at a ceremony in Mallow Community Youth Centre. The students came from St Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow; Patrician Academy; Mallow; St Mary’s High School, Midleton; St Colman’s Community College, Midleton; St…

Erica McCloskey (13) from Dunboyne, Ella Hudson (15) from Celbridge, Kíla Dunne (13) from Leixlip and Aoife Byrne (13) from Lucan pictured at the Console Celebration of Light at St Patrick’s College Maynooth where over a thousand family members and friends of people lost through suicide came together to honour the lives of their loved…

The Redemptorist community in Limerick is asking people to donate food and toys for its annual Christmas Hamper Appeal. Last year, 6,000 hampers were distributed across the city and county at a cost of €130,000. The appeal is a partnership between the Redemptorists, the St Vincent de Paul and others including Friends of the Elderly,…

Staff reporter A short amination film has been made based on the life of a popular Irish saint. The Monster & The Saint, which tells the story of how St Senan battled sea creature the Cathach on Scattery Island, is set to be premiered in Co. Clare this weekend. The screenplay was written by Dermott Petty…

The city of Ciudad Juarez prepares for Pope Francis, writes Paul Keenan

Bishop Kevin Doran has accused the Government of being “incapable of any principle in the matter of respect for life”.  The Bishop of Elphin told The Irish Catholic that Taoiseach Enda Kenny was “simply trying to shift a monkey off his shoulder” by pledging to establish a citizens’ convention to discuss the repeal of the…

Greg Daly explores the themes and events of Pope Francis’ first African trip

Last year’s Rose of Tralee, Maria Walsh, has said that taking a lifetime Pioneer pledge was the “greatest decision of my life”. The former Philadelphia Rose was speaking at a No Name Club conference, a youth club that offers young people positive alternatives to alcohol. Maria Walsh was the No Name Club’s ‘Hostess of the Year’…

More than 1.8 million signatures – including 800,000 collected by Catholic organisations – were on a petition calling for action on climate change submitted by interfaith leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Heads of state gathered in the Paris suburb of Le Bourget for the summit, with leaders of Catholic organisations saying that…