Bishop Kieran O’Reilly of the Diocese of Killaloe has issued a call for applications to the Permanent Diaconate in a new departure for the diocese. The promotion of lay involvement was a key focus in the Killaloe Diocesan Plan ‘Builders of Hope’ launched last year, and the diocese now employs pastoral workers to assist with…

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has confirmed that the soon-to-be reopened Irish Embassy at the Vatican will not be housed in the historic Villa Spada building. Campaigners had been hopeful after the Government announced earlier this year that it had reversed a controversial decision to downgrade relations with the Holy See and was planning…

A group of girls from Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo were among 60 girls who attended the first Michaela Foundation summer camp at Knock Shrine. Back: Holly Browne, Rachel Dillon, Clodagh Byrne, Aoife Carney, Amy Keane. Centre: Grace Omata, Gillian Donnellan, Maeve Donnellan, Alannah Nolan. Front: Brenda Chava, Winnie McDonagh, Hannah Waldron, Emma Graciova and Olivia Halas.

Suicide awareness charity Pieta House has pleaded with people living with mental health difficulties to reach out in the wake of the tragic death of comic actor Robin Williams. Mr Williams died August 11 and police say they believe he took his own life. The film star had reportedly recently been battling severe depression and…

A court heard at the weekend how a Dublin priest managed to disarm a potential thief who threatened him with a syringe when he confronted him stealing from a church poor box. Fr William Fitzpatrick, parish priest of Mary Immaculate Oblate parish in Inchicore, challenged Mark Pierce for taking €20 from a donations box in…

As if the phenomenal work Br Kevin Crowley does feeding the homeless at Dublin’s Capuchin Day Centre wasn’t enough, the Capuchin Franciscan friars are at it again. This time, in Kilkenny. The Friary Food Project, which was launched this week, is a “Capuchin response to a community need”, according to Br Sean Donohue, one of…

A prominent Irish priest who led a global research congress on the power of theology has said Catholic theology is becoming more “lay centred”. Prof. Eamonn Conway, outgoing President of the International Network of Societies of Catholic Theology, made his remarks after more than 40 theologians from 21 countries took part in a global research…

“We are facing risk of a real genocide and a human catastrophe.”

An Irish nun working in an area ravaged by the deadly Ebola virus has spoken of people’s fears as the death toll rises. The Ebola outbreak has spread across West Africa to Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, claiming 1,000 lives. Authorities have struggled to contain the virus, which is contracted by personal contact, and…

“All signs of the presence of Christians and the practice of the Faith have been obliterated”