The Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly has recently commenced a lay funeral ministry initiative, which hopes to equip lay parishioners with the necessary skills to undertake a wide range of roles during funerals in the archdiocese. Speaking to The Irish Catholic in the aftermath of the archdiocese’s invitation to parishioners who are interested in the…

This October, for the first time, the sacred relics of 7th-century Irish monk and martyr St Kilian will return to his homeland in Co. Cavan from Germany. Maynooth has been selected as a stop on this journey, where the relics will be available for public veneration in the College Chapel on October 2. Rev. Prof.…

Recently, Bishop Paul Dempsey visited two youth prayer groups, where he shared his faith journey and reflections on his first months as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese. “There’s so much criticism out there. We’ve come through a challenging time for the Church in Ireland – everyone knows that. Yet, the roots of the Church at…

Mary Burke of Crystal Swing has always had a life deeply rooted in her Faith. In a recent interview with The Echo, a Cork newspaper, the singer shared, “My faith was passed down to me from my parents.” One expression of her devotion is her large collection of religious statues, which she has been gathering…

Regular Mass going protects against feelings of loneliness and suicidal thoughts a new Irish study has revealed, with weekly attendence being better than monthly. The Trinity College Dublin (TCD) study found there are increasing rates of both loneliness and suicidal thoughts among older adults in Ireland, but that attending Mass can “protect against these negative…

Pope Francis arrived in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Tuesday, kicking off the longest and farthest trip of his tenure to the Asia Pacific region. He is expected to highlight environmental concerns and the importance of interfaith dialogue during the 12 day trip, which will also see him travel to Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Timor-Leste –…

St Baithin’s Church in St Johnston, Donegal, originally built in the 1850s was the target of an arson attack last Wednesday which saw its sacristy “totally blackened with soot”. But despite the shocking attack, which resulted in a man being charged last Thursday, Pastor Emeritus of the parish, Monsignor Dan Carr allayed fears and said…

After six years with no entrant for the priesthood, Clogher Diocese welcomes its first seminarian. He is a former teacher in his 20s, and is entering the propaedeutic year this month. Gary Carville, Clogher Diocesan Communications Officer said this is the answering to all the prayers and hopes “that others will continue to answer the…