A prominent Northern priest has spoken of being moved by “an incredible response” after he revealed that the holy oil container he had used since his ordination was stolen over the weekend. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Passionist Fr Gary Donegan, who became a household name when helping shield schoolchildren from loyalist mobs during 2001’s…
An Irish Church that existed in the penal times has been re-opened in Waterford, with a new footpath to it blessed by Bishop Phonsie Cullinan. Mass was celebrated in St Patrick’s Church on Jenkin’s Lane throughout the 18th Century when Catholics suffered severe persecution. The earliest Mass recorded there happened in 1704. A large number…
Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sexual abuse offences, has lodged an application with Australia’s High Court to appeal his guilty verdict. The application to the country’s highest court is Cardinal Pell’s last avenue of appeal and comes 27 days after the Supreme Court of the Australian state…
Catholic schools must take concrete action in tackling climate change, not just engage in protests, according to Irish principals. The climate strike organised on September 20 is a continuation of strikes aimed to raise awareness of human impacts on the environment and the need for sustainable practices. Schoolchildren have been at the forefront of these…
The Vatican confirmed last Friday that Pope Francis will travel to Thailand and Japan in November with stops scheduled in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Pontiff will visit Thailand from November 20-23 in commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the Vatican Mission to Siam in 1669. He will then travel from November 23-26 to Japan,…
A top Vatican cardinal is to address Irish religious next month on the Church’s missionary role in the wider world. Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, the first head of the Holy See’s new ‘super-dicastery’, the Office for Promoting Integral Human Development, will speak on the theme of ‘Mission Today in Our Common Home’ at the Autumn…
The deans of five Argentine law schools have protested the appointment of a supporter of legalised abortion as Argentina’s Ombudsman for the Rights of Girls, Boys and Adolescents since “it’s a clear violation of the federal juridical order”. On June 26, the Argentine House of Representatives confirmed Marisa Graham, a well-known abortion advocate in Argentina,…
Farmers are heavily in favour of age-restrictions on pornography, with only 3% believing there should be free access. An Irish Examiner/ICMSA poll of farmers and farming families found that 72% believe strongly there should be age restrictions, with 14% slightly agreeing. Support for the restriction was similar across all age groups, peaking among people aged…
A priest and a nurse working at a Catholic school in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand have been held in custody after being charged with sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl. Church officials in the state, where the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party runs the government, say the case was fabricated amid a hostile atmosphere generated toward…
Mothers have a vital role in children’s mental health and families staying together, new research suggests. According to a study by the UK’s Marriage Foundation in conjunction with Lincoln University, a mother’s happiness is nearly twice as important as a father’s when it comes to family life and the chances of a couple staying together.…
Greg Daly
Chai Brady