World-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed to an empty Duomo in the heart of Milan in Italy, in an event live-streamed to the world from one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis on Easter Sunday. Across the globe people tuned in to witness the concert which was streamed live via YouTube and now has…
On Easter Sunday, people started to gather – observing physical distancing – outside the locked doors of Holy Cross Church in Dundrum, south Dublin. The streets were eerily quiet, and people nodded and exchanged warm smiles from a distance. As the clock struck 2pm, the doors of the 19th Century church swing open and Fr…
Peadar Tóibín expressed his thanks for all of the priests and religious for their work in the current crisis in a Tweet on Easter Sunday. The leader of Aontú told The Irish Catholic: “It think it’s really important that we recognise that the priests and religious have played a phenomenally important role over the last…
A missionary priest has expressed his “joy” and “surprise” after a video was released showing that his brother, who was kidnapped in 2018, is still alive. Fr Walter Maccalli was relieved after discovering the news from watching a 23-second video showing his sibling, Fr Pierluigi Maccalli, and another man last week. The priest told Catholic…
‘Faith Survival Kits’ were handed out to several parishes in Down and Connor over Easter. They contain a prayer, some reading material, parish updates and sometimes a candle, a mini Easter egg or some holy water. In the parish of Ardkeen they began giving packs out almost a month ago. Paula McKeown, a parish volunteer,…
The Church in Tanzania is keeping its doors open while the rest of world closes places of worship to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Thousands of people are turning up for public Masses after a presidential directive stated churches and mosques could remain open so people could seek refuge, according to Church sources. Other…
Ruadhan Jones A number of religious leaders, including Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, held a conference call with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to discuss the Covid-19 emergency on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Mr Varadkar sought their views into how we can care for our communities and our most vulnerable at this time. He thanked…
Pope Benedict XVI celebrates his 93rd birthday on April 16, which comes three days prior to the 15th anniversary of when he started his Papacy. Benedict, born Joseph Ratzinger, served as head of the Church and sovereign of the Vatican from April 19, 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II, until his resignation…
A cloister of nuns in Bangladesh is asking God to provide consolation to the sick, doctors, nurses, volunteers and all those fighting the coronavirus every hour of the day. The Poor Clares are engaged in a continuous prayer, 24 hours a day, for the world to overcome the Covid-19 crisis, according to Mother Mary Rose,…
Fr Eamon Aylward SSCC believes online video conference platforms for streaming Mass, such as Zoom, are redefining the Eucharist. “I felt in my heart that it touched a spot and, out of this ‘evil’ (coronavirus) touching our world, is coming something good,” he told The Irish Catholic. “It is forcing us as a Church, and…