Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty visited Portlaoise parish to administer the sacrament of Confirmation on March 4 and 5. Bishop Nulty concelebrated Mass in St Peter and Paul’s Church, Portlaoise, where dozens of young people from several local schools received the Sacrament – and the sun shone to greet them. The schools were:…
Our Lady of Fatima shrines asked to pray for Russia’s conversion Our Lady of Fatima shrines worldwide were asked to unite in prayer for the conversion of Russia on Sunday. The appeal was made by Father Andrzej Draws, rector of the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima in Krisovychi, western Ukraine, following the full-scale Russian…
It would be “unconscionable” to celebrate St Patrick’s Day without offering the “solidarity of our prayers, charity and welcome for the people of Ukraine” the archbishops of Armagh have said in a joint statement. This comes as Primate of All Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin renewed the call for parish communities to open their doors and…
It is uplifting to see many Irish people opening “the doors of their hearts and homes” to refugees from the Russia-Ukraine war, Bishop Paul Dempsey said in his St Patrick’s day message. The chairman of the bishops’ council for emigrants compared St Patrick’s experience to the plight of the Ukrainian refugees, as both were forced…
Victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse in the North of Ireland have been told the state failed to protect them from abuse, in an apology made today by five ministers in Stormont. The long-awaited apology was made by ministers Michelle McIlveen, Conor Murphy, Nichola Mallon, Robin Swann and Naomi Long, March 11. The ministers…
Heartbroken Ukrainians living in Ireland have said they are overwhelmed by the support they are receiving from parishes all across Ireland as the brutal Russian invasion of their homeland intensifies. It comes as desperate efforts are being made to accommodate up to 100,000 mostly women and children who are fleeing the onslaught in what is…
Trócaire has seen “the compassion of the Irish people coming to the fore” which has allowed them to offer aid on the ground in Poland and Ukraine amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Trócaire is working with Caritas…
Staff reporter The Aontú representative for East Derry has criticised exclusion zone legislation which aims to ban protests or vigils outside abortion facilities as an “attack on free speech”. Aontú’s Gemma Brolly said that the legislation, introduced by Clare Bailey of the Green Party and supported by the UUP, Sinn Féin and the SDLP, also…
A Government report which made inaccurate recommendations regarding the chaplaincy and its work in the Defence Forces has been described as “bizarre”. The ‘Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces’ stated that a number of “outdated practices” should be discontinued such as “the convening of a Roman Catholic Mass associated with an induction ceremony”.…
A parent-baby prayer group centred around adoration, Scripture and prayer has begun in Portlaoise parish, Co. Laois, which seeks to allow couples and their children to pray in a safe, relaxed environment. Michelle Ward, one of the event’s organisers, told this paper it’s a “parent”-baby group, as it’s “very important” that the husbands are “very,…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady