Throughout history and across the globe, lay catechists have been revered as saints, and many were martyred for their refusal to renounce their faith and their vocation to teach the Christian faith to others. Formally instituting “the ministry of catechist” with a document published May 11, Pope Francis praised “the countless lay men and women…
Jesuits prepare to celebrate Ignatian Year The roughly 15,000 members of the Society of Jesus, their collaborators and many people who draw on the spiritual heritage left by St Ignatius of Loyola are preparing to mark a special Ignatian Year beginning May 20 and lasting until the saint’s feast day, July 31, 2022. Anticipating the…
Those who overcome distractions or obstacles when praying learn the value of perseverance in times of trial, Pope Francis said
A high court judge has said Catholic businessman Declan Ganley’s case against Covid-19 restrictions on Mass is moot as the restrictions have lapsed
Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell has defended the place of Church teaching on sexuality in Catholic schools, despite a backlash by politicians. Dr Farrell insisted that the new sexuality and relationships resource Flourish affirms the “core of Judeo-Christian religion” and “celebrates life and love”. Dr Farrell was speaking at the annual conference of the Catholic Primary School…
A cardinal has recalled the moment that St John Paul II was shot in St Peter’s Square 40 years on from the attempted assassination. The Polish Pope collapsed into the arms of the then Msgr Stanisław Dziwisz when he was struck by four bullets on May 13, 1981. “Holding the slumping and heavily bleeding Holy…
A priest and nine other Catholics shot dead by the British Army in Belfast in 1971 “were entirely innocent of any wrongdoings” and killed “without justification,” a fresh inquest has found. The coroner described the use of force by the troops as “disproportionate” and there were emotional scenes as families reacted to the vindication of…
There was “absolute delight” as people returned to Mass this week, after stark figures revealed that one in four pre-pandemic regular church-goers said that the pandemic-imposed Mass ban has harmed their mental health. A quarter of those polled said the inability to gather for Mass had affected their sense of wellbeing while 61% of respondents…
Gender-neutral bathrooms are the product of a lack of understanding about identity, a Wicklow-based priest has said. This comes as the Department of Education recently announced that gender neutral toilets are an option for schools under new design guidance. In the past few years, a number of secondary schools around the country have sought permission…
Not one Irish prisoner has been transferred to the State from overseas in the last four years, with a Catholic charity accusing the Government of causing families “anxiety” and not reforming a “broken system”. The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) expressed concern after the publication of the 2020 annual report on prisoners transferred into…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady