A Clare-born nun is to be awarded a prestigious medal next week for dedicating her life to teaching in Pakistan. St Mary’s University, London, has announced to award Sister Berchmans Conway the Benedict Medal next week in recognition of almost 70 years of teaching, most of which was spent in Pakistan, where she taught at…
Category: News
Vatican discovers empty tombs as it searches for missing woman
(Previous report can be found here) Opening the Vatican tombs of a princess and a duchess July 11 in a search for the remains of a young Italian woman missing for more than 30 years, the Vatican found no human remains at all. “The search had a negative result,” said Alessandro Gisotti, interim director of…
Pope mourns death of French patient after doctors withhold care
“Every life is valuable, always,” Pope Francis tweeted after offering prayers for Vincent Lambert, a 42-year-old French man who died today, nine days after doctors stopped providing him with nutrition and hydration. “May God the Father welcome Vincent Lambert in his arms,” the Pope’s tweet said. “Let us not build a civilization that discards persons…
‘Lost’ Irish martyrs on the road to Rome for sainthood
EXCLUSIVE Ireland could be set to have 42 more martyrs recognised by the Church in the near future, with Archbishop Eamon Martin revealing that the process of readying their causes for submission to Rome is at “an advanced stage”. Speaking to The Irish Catholic at Drogheda’s annual celebration of St Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop Martin…
Autistic children focused on by Church in State dialogue
The Archbishop of Dublin raised the “challenges faced by parents of children with autism” during closed Government talks last week. The plenary meeting of the Church-State dialogue included 28 representatives of Churches, Faith Communities and Non-Confessional Organisations. According to the Archdiocese of Dublin their delegates “spoke on respect for and protection of the specific contribution…
Did Pope Francis give the relics of St Peter away?
In a surprising move at the end of last month, Pope Francis gave relics attributed to St Peter the Apostle to the Orthodox Church. While the gesture was widely praised, some observers have suggested it was inappropriate given the centrality of Rome for Catholics, and so the natural and only location for the first Pope’s…
Govt climate emergency veto ‘deeply undemocratic’
Church environmental lobbyists have criticised the Government’s blocking of the Climate Emergency Measures Bill, describing it as having acted as “judge, jury and executioner”. The bill to bar the granting of new licences for oil and gas exploration in Ireland had passed two separate votes in the Dáil last year, but was prevented from moving…
Fulton on way to sainthood after first miracle approved
With “overwhelming joy”, Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria announced that Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. “Now that the miracle has been confirmed by Pope Francis, the Diocese of Peoria can formally begin planning for the beatification of Archbishop Sheen, which will take place in Peoria,” according…
Bring trainee priests back home
Candidates preparing for the priesthood should begin their initial year of formation in Ireland rather than abroad, a Waterford priest has said. Since 2016, it has been common for would-be priests to take part in a propaedeutic, or pre-seminary, year to help them discern their vocation. While some Irish candidates complete their preparatory year in…
Limerick boxer Kevin Sheehy was ‘exemplary’ – priest
The priest who led the funeral Mass for Limerick boxer Kevin Sheehy has described his death as “cruel”. The five times Irish boxing champion was killed in an early morning hit-and-run on July 1, causing shock across the country. Logan Jackson, from Coventry in England, appeared in court last week charged with murdering the 20-year-old…



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