Generation Z was raised in the most technologically advanced era in history and told that religion was dying. Yet it now appears that young people are rediscovering faith at a time when many believed it was something only their grandparents still practised. As Easter approaches, fresh data from Ireland, alongside trends across Europe and the…

This Lent, my husband and I started watching The Chosen streaming series again. We are working through Season Four, although Season Five is already available. The Chosen is the first multi-season series based on the life of Jesus. It is the brainchild of Dallas Jenkins, a conservative Evangelical, who, along with Angel Studios, crowdfunded the…

When the going gets tough, Catholics need to lean in, argues Patricia Casey When things get tough, every Catholic should know that this is not the time to give up on their beliefs. Yet a well-known priest and podcaster has suggested that the Catholic Church should remove religion from all schools and return the responsibility…

When I saw a new ‘National Conversation on Education’ was being launched, my first reaction was, ‘here we go, they’re coming after denominational schools again’. This might yet happen as the ‘conversation’ progresses, but in the very early stages they have not been a big topic. The conversation began with a survey from the Department…

A leaflet dropped through my door the other day. The Belfast councillor Donal Lyons was promoting a new scheme to recycle glass bottles. Commendable. Except Cllr Lyons represents the SDLP which has proved a major disappointment. I would like to vote for Donal Lyons. Originally from Dublin, he seems like a decent, gentle person. But…

I think I should start this article with a ‘bad language’ trigger warning because at least two rude words, neither of my own making, are in there among the jumble of thoughts clamouring for expression on this page. I was pleased when a friend offered me two tickets to attend The Rest is Politics (TRIP)…

Last week, I was in Cambrai, France, with colleagues from across the globe for a meeting of the executive committee of the World Union of Catholic Teachers. I have the privilege of serving as its academic advisor, and of all the meetings and organisations I attend, this one always stands out because its focus is…

So now, according to a new study, men are to blame for the dramatic fall in births all over Europe and the developed world. According to the report ‘Baby Bust’ (as opposed to ‘baby boom’), published by the Centre for Social Justice in London, the slow maturing of young men these days is what’s causing…

I was baptised in a converted aeroplane hangar – and I’m always ready for take-off, though sometimes I have crash-landed and messed up my baptismal gown! I was clothed in Christ at St Agnes’ Church, which was built in Belfast after the Second World War. I almost missed my take-off. “You’re too late,” the priest…