A film documenting the 1879 Apparition at Knock, Co. Mayo will have its first screening in the Vatican next week. The film titled Hope, which was written, produced and directed by Co Down native Campbell Miller, will be shown in the Film Vacticana on Monday, January 27. Miller’s feature recreates the August 21, 1879 apparition…
Fr Ray Kelly survived the first elimination from RTÉ1’s Dancing with the Stars at the weekend, despite posting the lowest score on the night. His ch-cha-cha dance with Kylee Vincent to ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’ by Michael Buble, which featured a cameo from comedian Des Bishop, scored a six. Of the judging panel, Brian Redmond gave…
A Nigerian seminarian who was abducted this month was freed by his kidnappers after 10 days in captivity. Three seminarians kidnapped with him remain in captivity. The freed seminarian, who has not yet been identified, is being treated at a Catholic hospital in Kaduna, Nigeria. The extent of his injuries is unclear, but he is…
Pro-life party Aontú has vowed to insist on legislation making pain relief for babies due to be aborted as mandatory. Launching its manifesto this week the party – which is running 25 candidates and is confident of making gains – also said that it would prioritise the right of everyone to conscientious objection where abortion…
Brazil’s government has drawn criticism after launching a project that aims to revamp the country’s arts scene, with a focus on nationalism and religion. The project is part of the far-right administration’s answer to what it sees as decades of leftist hegemony in the cultural sphere – from art to education and family. Though cash-strapped,…
The current rector of the Notre-Dame Centre for Faith and Reason in Dublin will be returning to the US, it has been announced, with his replacement “excited” to begin this summer. Fr Bill Dailey CSC, who headed the famous University Church founded by St John Henry at Stephen’s Green, will return to the US to…
A Dutch Catholic newspaper warned churches will continue to close in the Netherlands, where half of all Catholic parishes have already been dissolved amid plummeting church participation. “It’s never good to panic, but there are grave concerns about the way things are going here,” said Peter Doorakkers, an editor at the Katholiek Nieuwsblad weekly. “It’s…
Irish bishops who have just returned from a fact-finding mission to the Holy Land say that have been inspired by the “enduring resilience” of the small Christian community there. Bishop Noel Treanor or Down and Connor and Bishop Alan McGuckian of Raphoe were part of an international delegation who travelled to the region to show…
Christian persecution around the world is a growing problem, says a new report from an agency that documents abuses against Christians across the globe. Worldwide, the report states, 260 million Christians are facing persecution. This marks a 6% increase from the previous year. The annual report from Open Doors, released on January 15, ranked North Korea first…
A Catholic priest in Co. Tyrone cancelled a political party’s meeting at a church hall over their support for abortion. Fr Eugene O’Neill snubbed a booking from pro-abortion party Sinn Féin to use St Patrick’s Hall in Coalisland after being contacted by pro-life campaigners. The parish hall had been booked for Deputy First Minister Michelle…
Chai Brady