A new model of ‘team ministry’ across parishes will allow parishes to pool talents while keeping their own distinct identities, according to Limerick’s Bishop Brendan Leahy. In a pastoral letter last weekend, Dr Leahy mapped out a plan to arrange the Diocese of Limerick’s parishes into ‘pastoral units’, groups of parishes served by teams of…
Philippine Catholic bishops are standing by Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan after he was targeted by President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent tirades. The controversial president accused the Kalookan prelate of giving Church donations to his family. Duterte also said he thought the bishop might be into drugs and threatened him with hanging. Archbishop Romulo Valles, head of the Catholic…
Advent Sunday: ‘Pray for children in Syria’ Pope Francis lit a candle, a symbol of hope, to pray for children affected by violence and war in Syria and across the Middle East. “Advent is a time of hope. At this moment I would like to make the hope for peace of the children of Syria, beloved Syria, mine,” the Pope prayed…
A Cork-based priest has condemned a vandalism attack of a nativity scene at one the city’s oldest ecclesiastical structures. Just hours after its unveiling on December 2, the Red Abbey Crib, located behind the railings inside the landmark abbey tower, was trespassed and vandalised. After the official light switch-on at the crib on Saturday night,…
Hannah Brockhaus Learning to pray well is a continual process, but should always start from a place of humility, as Jesus demonstrated in the Gospels, Pope Francis said today. “Even if we have been praying for so many years, we must always learn!” the Pope said. “The prayer of man, this yearning that is…
A prominent Irish Catholic book publisher will be closing three of its stores due to “trading difficulty” and is making moves to invest more on online sales. Veritas announced its decision to shut outlets in Sligo, Monaghan and Naas today (November 30) with closure taking place by the end of January 2019. Mr Aidan Chester,…
Churches are on the front lines in reaching out to people suffering from violence in the home, priests have said. “In certain parts of Ireland I’d say it would be a big part of your ministry, and not an easy one,” Cork-based Redemptorist Fr Gerry O’Connor told The Irish Catholic, explaining that priests are often…
The Vatican is unlikely to invite Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to participate at a key summit on abuse due to be held in the New Year, one of the organisers has indicated. Pope Francis has called the heads of bishops’ conference from around the world – including Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin – to Rome in…
One of Ireland’s most iconic churches has re-opened to the public having been closed for visits due to acts of vandalism. The college chapel of the national seminary at Maynooth will re-open for four hours a week and members of the public are invited to come and pray or visit the historic neo-Gothic structure. While…
Care for victims has to be taken into account when priests credibly accused of abuse die, an abuse survivor and child protection campaigner has said. Speaking against the background of complaints from the Association of Catholic Priests that “proper funerals” are sometimes denied to priests who die while facing allegations of abuse, Mark Vincent Healy…
Greg Daly
Colm Fitzpatrick
Chai Brady