Homeless services are in a worse state now than ever before, according to the Peter McVerry Trust which launched its 2012 annual report this week. After 30 years of working to eliminate homelessness, the trust said the problem is now worse than ever, perhaps even out of control. According to its 2012 annual…
Claims that priestly celibacy leads to sexual abuse have been rejected by a leading expert. US-based Prof. Philip Jenkins, who has spent decades researching the area told The Irish Catholic this week that there is “no evidence whatever that Catholic or other celibate clergy are any more or less likely to be involved in…
A case brought before a court in the US state of Milwaukee against Pope Benedict and the Holy See for alleged cover-ups of abuse there has been withdrawn. The case, which had garnered much publicity for the naming of the current Pontiff in relation to his duties at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the…
An American community of men living according to the monastic Rule of Saint Benedict is moving to Ireland this month to ‘return the love’ given by the Irish priests and religious who served the Church in the United States. The Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle was established by Dom Mark Daniel Kirby…
A Catholic layman from Co. Kildare has taken it upon himself to create a Catholic drive towards inviting Pope Benedict to visit Ireland in time for the International Eucharistic Congress. Liam Prendergast has written to every parish in Ireland requesting that parish priests and other volunteers gather signatures of Catholics over the age of 16…
A Donegal priest is standing in solidarity with his Church of Ireland counterpart to protest against budget cuts which could adversely affect not only the local parish school but 27 out of 31 Protestant schools in Co. Donegal. ‘Budget 2012 will inflict serious damage and reek havoc particularly on small schools throughout Ireland. This…
The community of Blanchardstown parish came together in large numbers last Wednesday to celebrate a combination of the feast day of St Brigid, parish patron, the journey to the Eucharistic Congress (IEC) and the beginning of a year of celebration for the 175th anniversary of St Brigid’s church. ”It is a group of celebration…
Bishop Michael Smith of Meath concelebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving to mark the completion of the bell tower and spire of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, last Sunday, with a number of former parish priests, natives, friends and neighbours of the parish. Fr Padraig MacMahon, administrator of Mullingar Cathedral,…
The Vatican has rejected allegations of corruption in its awarding of contracts which were made by a leading cleric who is now papal nuncio to the United States. The move comes in response to the publishing, in the Italian press, of two letters penned in 2011 by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, at the time the…
Delegates from over 100 countries are meeting in Rome to ensure a global Church response to abuse. Michael Kelly reports. If bishops around the world courageously embrace robust child safeguarding policies, the Church can lead the way the Rome conference on abuse has been told. While the Church has failed dramatically to respond properly…
Paul Keenan
Mags Gargan
Michael Kelly