The Pro Life Campaign pre-empted last weekend’s March for Choice in Dublin by highlighting research suggesting that over 100,000 Irish people owe their lives to Ireland’s constitutional protections for the unborn. In advance of the September 24 march, which some participants claimed was attended by over 20,000 people, a group of young pro-life advocates gathered…

A small Catholic church in England had a celebrity surprise last week when Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg arrived for Mass, fresh from saving the world in his latest blockbuster. Currently filming the fifth instalment of the Transformers series in England, Wahlberg left the set to attend Sunday Mass at St Aidan’s Church in Seahouses. Depth of faith…

Cistercian College students Fiacra Murphy and Rian Boylan pictured with the papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Browne at the National Ploughing Championships.

Staff reporter The first Catholic ecumenical canon of Belfast’s Church of Ireland cathedral has praised the symbolism of his appointment. Fr Eddie O’Donnell, who was installed as Ecumenical Canon of St Anne’s Cathedral during Evensong on September 25, told The Irish Catholic that his duties will include occasionally preaching in the cathedral and attending chapter meetings,…

Irish parishes should be more active in tackling Ireland’s Direct Provision system, a priest with long experience of dealing with migrant communities has said.  Recalling how such systems were first introduced in Australia to deter immigration, and observing that it hasn’t worked, Fr Alan Hilliard told The Irish Catholic that parishes should do more to…

Ireland’s missionary spirit is alive, with news that last year 2,000 people engaged in voluntary service in no fewer than 50 countries worldwide. The figures have been revealed by Comhlám, the umbrella organisation for volunteer development workers, as it prepares to launch a fresh drive in cooperation with Irish Aid for new volunteers for a…

Vatican expert to speak on Pope’s renewal efforts The lay Catholic reform group, the Association of Catholics in Ireland (ACI) has announced events in Dublin and Carlow next month examining the progress of Pope Francis in bringing change to the Church. On October 15, at 4pm, at Trinity College Chapel, Dublin, and on October 17, at 7.30pm, at Carlow College, the ACI…

Joe Barrett A young Wexford mother of three children, who obtained a total of €750 from two parish priests in Laois while claiming to be a social worker, was given the Probation Act when her case was concluded at Portlaoise District Court last Thursday, September 22. Rebecca O’Leary (22) had already pleaded guilty to the three…

The Government’s plans to tackle homelessness do not do enough to address the issue of family homelessness, a leading campaigner has said. Speaking at the Focus Ireland Conference, the charity’s founder Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said ‘Rebuilding Ireland’, the Government’s action plan on homelessness and housing, is “welcome and ambitious”, but insufficiently ambitious for the needs…

Irish Capuchin archivist Dr Brian Kirby and Dublin diocesan archivist Noelle Dowling point out historical documents to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin at the September 24 launch of ‘Ministry, Advocacy and Compassion – The Catholic Church and 1916’, an exhibition at St Kevin’s Chapel in Dublin’s pro-cathedral.