Notebook   During almost 34 years of priesthood I have had many memorable experiences, some of them very sad and heart-breaking, many very joyful and inspirational. Two weeks ago, I had one of the most memorable and certainly most uplifting ‘pastoral assignments’ ever! Over a year ago, I was approached by a lady in the…

On Sunday, I had the rare privilege of being denounced in the opinion pages of no less an organ of official Irish conventional wisdom than the Sunday Times. “Politics,” announced Justine McCarthy, “needs more Kate O’Connell’s to defend us from the John McGuirk’s”. Last week, by happy coincidence, I celebrated my 36th birthday. That is, it turns…

When you join a religious order there are lots of things you expect: a timetable, common prayer, study, a habit and so on. But there’s one aspect of Dominican life that was quite unknown to me when I received the habit 10 years ago: regular contact with men and women on the margins of society,…

During the visit of Pope Francis in 2018 the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gave a first-rate speech to the Pontiff in Dublin Castle. In contrast, Francis’ input was weak and he was let down by his speechwriters on such an important topic as Church-State relations in contemporary Ireland. Mr Varadkar’s speech was something of a lap…

So, do many people celebrate St Patrick’s day in Northern Ireland?” I asked the cabbie on the drive into town from Belfast Airport. “It depends,” he answered carefully. “It depends on what sections of the community you’re talking about, so it does.” It’s usually a mistake to get into a conversation with a taxi-driver on…

At Sunday Mass celebrated at Argentina’s largest Marian shrine the head of the national bishops’ conference said it was necessary to “discern priorities” and that abortion cannot be one of them. The comments from Bishop Oscar Ojea of San Isidro came on a day recognised by the United Nations (UN) as being dedicated to women…

Revelations of psychological and sexual abuse of a number of women by Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche, have sent shockwaves across the world. Thoughts quickly turned first to the victims who experienced his manipulation and abuse, and who had been preyed upon when they were at their most vulnerable, seeking spiritual counsel; then to all…

It’s almost 1,600 years since St Patrick set foot on Irish soil and transformed the world with the life-giving message of the Gospel. This year, his feastday on March 17 will be noticeable more for the absence of commemoration than any celebrations. Fears around the coronavirus have forced the cancellation of the secular celebrations that…

Eoin Wrenn My recent visit to Ethiopia reinforced just how vulnerable some countries in Africa are to climate change but also gave me hope that communities can, and indeed are, adapting to the challenges posed by this crisis. I was privileged to spend a few days close to the border of Eritrea where Trócaire has…