Patriarch calls for lifting the Israeli blockade of Gaza

Fr Aidan Troy withdraws comments from online blog

Over 25 priests, from 12 different dioceses came together at Mount St Joseph’s Cistercian Abbey, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary last week to pray together on retreat. They are members of the Jesus Caritas Fraternity of Priests, inspired by the life and writings of (Blessed) Charles de Foucauld (1858 -1916). The Fraternity has over 200 priests in…

An attack on a Catholic church in Co. Tyrone has been described as “disgusting” by a local councillor after it was targeted by sectarian vandals. Racist graffiti that included swastikas was smeared on St Patrick’s Church in Dungannon with slogans such as ‘UVF’ and ‘f*** Gaza’ spray painted on the outside walls and front door.…

On Saturday July 26, hundreds of people from around the country visited the Shrine of St Anne, which is situated in the Poor Clare Convent grounds in Mayobridge, Co. Down. The Poor Clare Sisters, assisted by many parishioners, were present to welcome pilgrims to the shrine from far and near. This annual event in the…

The Bishop of Ossory has announced that the Peace in Christ Diocesan Retreat Centre in Kilkenny will close in June next year. Bishop Seamus Freeman said the decision to close what it believed to be the first Diocesan Retreat Centre in Ireland, is a result of a review of their ministry by the Daughters of…

This month Sr Susie O’Rawe OP, of the Dominican Sisters in Cabra, Dublin will travel to Tarija in Bolivia as a missionary on behalf of the sisters. She will support the Mission Area in Argentina which has sisters in Bolivia for the past 10 years. In total, there are 16 Cabra Dominican Sisters based in Latin America.…

Irishmen who died in the First World War should be remembered as having fought with great courage and valour in the pursuit of an ideal, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has said. The Archbishop of Dublin made his remarks during a memorial Mass at Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral for the Irishmen who died in the war. “We remember the…

The choir of St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina, Co. Mayo have recently returned from a trip to Rome where they sang in St Peter’s Basilica on July 20 for 10.30am Mass. Pope Francis stood at the window of the Papal Apartments in Rome and greeted the cathedral choir following their performance with the words: “I…

You’ve seen the couple kiss during the sign of peace, or the priest who leaves the altar to shake hands with the congregation. You may even have crossed the aisle to shake hands with a neighbour but no more according to the Vatican, who say these are abuses. From now on the sign of peace…