Five years on from her death, devotion to Derry nun Sr Clare Crockett continues to grow, as hope increases the Church will soon open her canonisation cause. On April 16, the five-year waiting period required by the Vatican before a potential cause can be considered for the sister – who died in an earthquake in…
Attacks on three homes in Carrickfergus attributed to loyalists aiming to intimidate Catholic residents have been dubbed “horrendous” and sectarian. Windows of houses were smashed in three areas in Woodburn estate, with the PSNI saying a man wearing a balaclava was seen running away after two of the incidents. Responding to reports, SDLP Cllr Eugene…
A Facebook page dedicated to documenting the suffering of those going without public worship in Ireland has “given a voice to people”. Sandra Parda, of the ‘We Need Worship’ page told The Irish Catholic that the testimonies pouring in from around the country, and given a platform by the page, just “make my heart break”.…
A prominent TD has said it is “extremely disappointing” that the Dáil refused to allow her to question Health Minister Stephen Donnelly on whether it is an offence to attend Mass. Laois-Offaly deputy Carol Nolan was seeking clarification because the minister previously told the Dáil it was not an offence, but the State is now…
John McColgan, founder of Riverdance, said a “quiet prayer” for his friend, the Irish songwriter and broadcaster Shay Healy after he died following a “hard-fought battle” with Parkinson’s. Mr McColgan first met Shay Healy in the 1960s and said they remained friends ever since. Speaking on the Brendan O’Connor radio show, he spoke of how…
A new report for Government recommends “exceptionally liberal” legal recognition of domestic surrogacy arrangements, despite the “exploitative” nature of the practice, a Catholic bioethicist has said. The report by the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Prof. Conor O’Mahony, was released April 7 and calls for the introduction of domestic surrogacy. Surrogacy is where a woman…
Poor families are struggling to buy food as prices rise “astronomically” and Brazil’s Covid-19 crisis worsens, according to an Irish Spiritan based there. Fr Brendan Foley, the Superior of the Brazil South-West Province and parish priest in Perus, São Paulo told this paper that in response to the increase in food prices they opened a food bank…
The Irish Bishops have announced the initial submission phase of the upcoming synod, which was announced March 10. Commenting on the development, Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick said the bishops were inviting submissions “to reflect on what methods/models to adopt” in the coming two years of conversations. He gave as examples “parish hall meetings, focus…
Homelessness activist Fr Peter McVerry’s interview with Tommy Tiernan met with much acclaim on social media, which he said was “pleasing”. After the 15 minute interview aired on Saturday, Fr McVerry – who spoke out forcefully on the issue of homelessness – was praised for “the quiet force of his witness”. Fine Gael MEP Seán…
The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world has shown steady growth, while the number of religious men and women continued to decrease, according to Vatican statistics. At the end of 2019, the worldwide Catholic population exceeded 1.34 billion, which continued to be about 17.7% of the world’s population, said an article published…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady