A Catholic nun has been charged with abducting tribal girls for religious conversion in India. Sr Beena Joseph, a member of the Carmelite Sisters of St Teresa congregation, was on her way to the Madhya Pradesh state capital of Bhopal from the eastern state of Jharkhand along with four tribal girls. She was accused of taking…
Short sermons could be key to holding the attention of congregations and could even help draw families with young children back to church, a Derry priest has realised after a spell on American pews. After a sabbatical in Texas where he was encouraged to sit among the congregation to get a sense of how lay…
The Redemptorist Order has revealed that as well as attracting huge numbers to their churches, their annual novenas are now drawing thousands of viewers to watch the services online. Fr Noel Kehoe, rector of Clonard Monastery in Belfast, said that on average 14,000 people had watched this year’s novena on the web – the highest…
Dozens of priests from Indonesia have quit their posts after accusing a bishop of embezzling $100,000 (€89,000) of church funds for personal use. Almost 70 priests from the Catholic island Flores, in the Reuteng Diocese, submitted letters of resignation after demanding that Bishop Hubertus Leteng complies with a complete change of how the diocese is…
Global Rosary Relay for Priests is striving to set a new record of global participation this week. 10 million are estimated to join in prayer for the Rosary Relay this year, according to Worldpriest. As midnight comes on June 23, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the relay will begin in a new shrine in…
Karen Gaffney, the first living person with Down Syndrome to receive an honorary doctorate, will address the ‘Save the 8th’ Rally for Life in Dublin city centre on July 1. Ms Gaffney has captured global attention, not only for her personal achievements but for her work on inclusion for people with Down Syndrome and her…
The Dalai Lama will be returning to the city of Derry on September 10, in order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the charity, Children in Crossfire. The Dalai Lama, a dedicated patron of Children in Crossfire, will be guest of honour at a public talk entitled ‘Compassion in Action’, which will aim to encourage…
Twenty-four students from 18 countries graduated from Rome’s Jesuit university last week, and will return to their dioceses to strengthen or kick-start child protection policies. The graduates studied in the Centre for Child Protection’s intensive programme at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The ceremony, at the Gregorian University, included a panel discussion with five post-doctoral students…
The public is split almost exactly 50/50 on whether or not we should change our Good Friday drinking laws, with the greatest opposition coming from young people, according to new research. The poll, conducted by Amárach Research and commissioned by The Iona Institute, found that 51% of the public supports a lifting of the alcohol…
Pope Francis and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the responsibility of the international community to address poverty and hunger worldwide. In the meeting on June 17 in the Vatican, they discussed the G20 meeting in Hamburg, climate change and the threats of global terrorism. A statement released by the Vatican said: “Special remembrance was reserved…
Greg Daly
Colm Fitzpatrick
Mags Gargan