The promoter of the Christmas Day Dinner for those in need, Sharon Smurfit, in a recent conversation with The Irish Catholic has highlighted the need for support during winter for those on the streets. “A lot of the homeless unfortunately have drug addictions and we need to have more rehab centres in Ireland. We need…

In an address to the first plenary assembly of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Pope Francis described desire, fearlessness, and Christian hope as remedies to confront the “shadow of nihilism.” Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Sr Anne Neylon DC, Primary Diocesan Advisor, commented on the Pope’s call, describing the address as “a moment of…

The Knights of St Columbanus have recently held a volunteer training in Ely House, Dublin 2, for the centenary of the biggest and oldest charity meal on Christmas Day in Ireland, which has taken place since 1975 in RDS. “We open the volunteering registration on October 1 every year online and always within a couple…

Downsizing seems to be the order of the day in Maynooth recently, and it’s not just for the bishops as the Nuncio tries to amalgamate dioceses that become vacant. New House in St Joseph’s Square in front of the main St Patrick’s College building has been sold to Maynooth University and it is understood the…

A relic of Bl. Carlo Acutis has found a new home in the Franciscan Friary, Killarney. The permanent display was unveiled by Bishop Ray Browne on Sunday, December 1 and is open for visits each day from 7am to 7pm. Bro. Pat Lynch ofm, the Friary Guardian told The Irish Catholic that acquiring the relic…

Recently, representatives of Trócaire went on a trip to Ethiopia accompanied by six Irish bishops. The delegation went to the north part of the country, to the region of Tigray where a conflict has been taking place for a few years. Jane Mellett, Trócaire’s Church Outreach Manager, spoke to The Irish Catholic about the trip…

A deanery meeting is to be held in Dublin diocese this week to set up a diocesan pastoral council and another special deanery meeting is planned later in the month to nominate people to the council.  This comes as the diocese implements its pastoral strategic planning resource for 2025 to 2027.  The structure being put…

Bishop of Kilmore Martin Hayes has said that now that the Synod is finished, it is time to bring synodality to the parishes, to ordinary people. “I prefer to use the term ‘conversations about the faith’ rather than the term ‘synodality’ because the language sometimes interferes”, Bishop Hayes said. He believes that language could have…

“The Church should be a bridge between marginalised people and the community”, Bishop of Kilmore Martin Hayes, who is also the Bishops’ Conference Liaison Bishop to the Irish Prison Service has said. Some of these marginalised people “often forgotten” by society are prisoners. “Of course, we have to acknowledge the fact that they would have…

The bishop who liaises with the Irish Prison Service has expressed alarm following the revelation that the chapel in Mountjoy prison in Dublin is to be repurposed. The chapel in the prison will be closed for eight weeks for remodelling to create space for “video link capacity”. Bishop Martin Hayes released a strong statement today…