When Fr Ruslan Mikhalkiv, rector of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Higher Theological Seminary in Vorzel, a forested village 50 kilometers northwest of Kyiv, returned to the abandoned seminary outside Kyiv in early April, he shockingly noticed that the statue of Our Lady of Fatima had been destroyed. “I have been studying for days how exactly…
Staff reporter Former TD for Tipperary Michael O’Kennedy, who spent a total of 35 years as a public representative after spending time as a seminarian in Maynooth, was laid to rest on Tuesday in Nenagh aged 86, with Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan commending his long public service. Mr O’Kennedy initially began his third level…
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a practicing Catholic, signed into law a bill protecting the unborn from abortion after 15 weeks gestation last Thursday. “What we’re doing today is saying that we will not let that happen in the state of Florida,” the Republican politician said. DeSantis signed into law House Bill 5 in Kissimmee, Florida. The legislation…
More than 70 bishops from around the world have released a “fraternal open letter” to Germany’s bishops warning that sweeping changes to Church teaching advocated by the ongoing process known as the “Synodal Path” may lead to schism. The letter expresses “our growing concern about the nature of the entire German ‘Synodal Path,’” which the…
Care argues against ‘sex work’ on popular Channel 4 show ‘Sex work’ sees women “bought and sold” and used for sex, Care Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Policy Officer Lauren Agnew argued on Channel 4’s popular WouldYouRather series. The episode saw the cases for “pro-sex work” and “anti sex-work” debated, with Ms Agnew arguing that…
Archbishop criticises plenary council preparations At a time when Catholicism in Australia faces crises such as a loss of faith and declining religious practice, a plenary council preparatory document shows “serious failures” that suggest a lack of confidence and “evangelical vigour”, Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart has said. Archbishop Porteous warned that the document may…
Irish charity Sophia Housing hosted an event in the Royal Marin Hotel Dun Laoghaire to thank religious congregations for their work in tackling the housing crisis. Since its foundation in 1997, Sophia has acted as a conduit for orders to who make lands and property available to be converted into homes. Speaking at the April…
Catholic parishes across Ireland have so far raised more than €3.25m for vital relief effort for Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, Church leaders in Ireland asked for a special collection in parishes across the island. This mainly took place over the weekend of March 26-27, as…
While religious orders often get a bad press, The Irish Catholic can reveal that the same congregations are quietly housing hundreds of people who would otherwise be homeless as the Government continues to struggle to come to terms with the accommodation emergency. Religious orders in Ireland have “unlocked the barriers” to housing for many families…
Devotees of the traditional Latin Mass may have been feeling unloved of late after Pope Francis restricted the pre-Vatican II liturgy. However, apparent support came from a perhaps unlikely source at the weekend when Tánaiste Leo Varadkar attended the Mass in Dublin. The Fine Gael leader made a discreet entrance at St Kevin’s Church in…
Ruadhán Jones
Michael Kelly