Large crowds have been in attendance to venerate a relic of Mother Teresa, which is being brought across the island by the Knights of St Columbanus. It is in Ballaghdreen Cathedral, Co. Roscommon from today until Saturday, before being brought to Tuam Cathedral, Co. Galway until next Monday (June 26). From August 11 the Cathedral…

“A society which has lost its religion becomes sooner or later a society which has lost its culture.” This sentiment undergirded the theme of the most recent Ratzinger Symposium held in the Buswells Hotel in Dublin. Entitled ‘The Future of Europe: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives’, the conference pays homage to the theology of Joseph Ratzinger,…

There are “gravely insufficient” supports and services for Irish teens at risk of suicide, according to a Mater Hospital psychiatrist. This comes as a Unicef report found that Ireland has the fourth highest suicide rate among teenagers in the EU. Prof. Patricia Casey, a UCD and Mater hospital psychiatrist, has said the emergency services are…

St Colman’s Society for Catholic Liturgy has announced that the Fota X International Liturgy Conference, to be held in Cork from July 8-10, will be opened by Cardinal Raymond Burke, Patron of the Sovereign Military and Hospitellar Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. The subject of the conference is Resourcing…

One of Ireland’s oldest priests, the last surviving child of any of the 1916 Rising’s executed leaders, has contested the official record of his father’s trial. Cmdt Michael Mallin, who headed the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) rebels at St Stephen’s Green and the Royal College of Surgeons during the Rising, was executed on May 8,…

The prospect of a papal trip to the North still hangs in the balance, according to Archbishop Eamon Martin, who says efforts continue to encourage Pope Francis to cross the border if he comes to Dublin next year. Widely expected to visit Ireland next August in connection with the World Meeting of Families, the Pope…

A priest who is a volunteer coastguard has been warning parishioners of the many hazards related to water he sees each summer as temperatures rise. With the recent hot weather, Wexford priest Fr Tom Dalton highlighted issues such as cold water shock and the dangers of inflatable toys. With many children jumping into water in…

Pop star Katy Perry has revealed that God has helped her through dark times in her life when she considered suicide. The singer, whose real name is Katheryn Hudson, said her inner battle between her true identity and her pop star identity as Katy Perry, drove her to depression and suicide. “I so badly want…