“There has always been an amazing amount of solidarity in Northern Ireland for our work to support those in the Global South,” said Peter Heaney, Trócaire’s Head of Region for Northern Ireland, as the Catholic aid agency opened its new Belfast office on Berry Street. Bishop Alan McGuckin of Down and Connor joined the Trócaire…
Thirteen men have taken their first steps towards the priesthood this year—despite the pressures, demands, and challenges of answering such a call. Fr Willie Purcell, the Church’s National Vocations Coordinator, said priesthood today is “challenging and rewarding” as Ireland’s bishops confirmed the new seminarians are beginning their Propaedeutic Year—the first of four stages of formation. Their arrival brings…
Fr Richard Gibbons, rector of Ireland’s Knock Shrine, was invited to attend the unveiling of a mural depicting the Knock apparition at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on September 21. The mural, which has been in works for around 15 years, originated from an idea of American prelate, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and was…
Ten years after the refugee summer of 2015, Archbishop Stefan Heße of Hamburg emphasised the successes of integration policy. “Let us not forget what we have achieved in the last ten years,” said Archbishop Heße on September 24 at the autumn plenary assembly of the German Bishops’ Conference. “For many people in our country, refugees…
The Vatican Press Office has announced the dates for the upcoming canonisations by Pope Leo XIV. The ceremony will take place on October 19 in St Peter’s Square. A total of seven people will be added to the list of Catholic saints. The new saints include the Armenian-Catholic Archbishop of Mardin, Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan, who…
“Everyone here is pleading for mercy: to take pity, for mercy, for compassion, for them to stop this war, for them to stop shooting… for them to stop killing people, for them to stop bombing,” the only parish priest in Gaza, Fr Gabriel Romanelli, said in a video he posted on September 23. “There are…
Seven is a special number for Catholics. We celebrate seven sacraments, avoid seven deadly sins, try to do the seven corporal works of mercy (or some of them at least!). Seven is a special age also. Children who reach the age of seven are said to become reasonable (though parents might not agree!). But no…
More than 1,000 people have already been executed in Iran in 2025. UN human rights activists are appalled and accuse the Islamic Republic of carrying out death sentences on an “industrial scale”. UN human rights experts are deploring an unprecedented wave of executions in Iran. More than 1,000 death sentences have already been carried out…
Episcopal question mark behind the Pope’s words: Bishop Kohlgraf warns against minimising the issue of abuse. Sexualised violence is a crime against human beings. The Church has a responsibility in this regard. In the debate on how to deal with sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz questions recent statements by…
Senator and psychotherapist sound alarm on threat to faith and family The new Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, recently rolled out by the Department of Education, has prompted a wave of concern among parents, teachers, and Catholic commentators, who fear that the programme undermines parental rights and introduces children to confusing and…
Renata Steffens