Over 100 leading EU law and policy experts were in the West of Ireland recently for the European People’s Party (EPP) Group’s Summer University – the group to which Fine Gael belongs. Fine Gael MEP for the North West, Maria Walsh, said she was delighted to welcome the group to the West of Ireland and…
In a remarkable feat of leadership, Derry stood at the centre of the world stage on the feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary last Saturday, June 13. Creating history, 6,000 faithful reverently followed Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament past Derry’s iconic walls, spiritually leading 550 parishes and 15 prominent shrines across six continents,…
This summer is an inflection point on my personal journey through life – a 40th Anniversary of Ordination this month, a State Pension and a Travel Pass in August, as a 66th birthday looms, but no retirement in sight! The Dublin Diocesan Class of 1986 saw 17 men ordained; three have gone before us to…
The New York state Legislature passed a bill that replaces the words “mother” and “father” in some state laws with gender-neutral language, a move that New York’s bishops say will further “muddy what is true and good.” The bill, passed by the state Assembly in March and by the state Senate on June 2, now…
Colombia’s highly polarised presidential election has become a source of concern for the nation’s Catholic Church, which has released a number of statements during the process in an effort to steer Catholics away from the paths of violence and irrationality. The upcoming runoff, scheduled for June 21, will pit right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella…
The Bishops’ Conferences of Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales published a joint statement for the 2026 ‘Day for Life’, which will take place on June 21. The statement is titled, The Wonder of the Child in the Womb – Reflecting on the humanity of the unborn. The message to the bishops was delivered by…
A Co. Laois nun remembered for helping generations of young women in Portlaoise find work is to be honoured with a permanent memorial at her former convent. Mother Columba, the late principal of the Presentation Convent in Portlaoise, has been described as “a legend” for her efforts to secure jobs for pupils in the civil…
In preparation for the Synodal Gathering this coming October, members of the Pioneers have been invited to include discussions on the seven Irish Synodal Pathway Working Group themes in their meetings, Fr Robert McCabe, Central Spiritual Director for the Pioneers, told The Irish Catholic. Fr McCabe said there are some questions he is sharing with Pioneer members…
People who believe in Jesus in a very worldly way can miss the true meaning of the Gospel, Archbishop Dermot Farrell has said. He was speaking at a Mass last week in which he praised those who often make an unnoticed contribution to the life of the Church. He spoke of their “deep faith and…
A new book is shining fresh light on the life of an Irish nun who helped save hundreds of people from the Nazis before surviving imprisonment in Ravensbrück concentration camp. The Nun of Ravensbrück: The Irish Nun Who Defied the Nazis, by historian Cathi Fleming, tells the story of Sr Kate McCarthy, a Franciscan nun…
Renata Steffens