Dear Editor, Reading the Book Reviews (IC 9/1/14) it was good to see Peter Costello discuss the new book Unheard Story: Dublin Archdiocese and the Murphy Report. It is very important that we all read it carefully to further understand how the Church comes under unjust fire in this Report and by many of the media and…

Dear Editor, Mary Brien’s letter (IC 16/1/14) raises interesting questions about the desirability of Catholic schools opening on Holy Days. As a former Catholic secondary school principal it was my responsibility to advise our board of management on school holidays. With the support of the Catholic school community, which we served, our school always opened…

Dear Editor, I very much welcome the emergence of the Reform Alliance and hope it will grow into a new political party. At present there is no political party in which Catholics can participate, a party where their insights and giftedness are fully appreciated. This has created an enormous democratic deficit in the Irish political scene.…

Dear Editor, I was interested to read David Quinn’s piece ‘Why the Church cannot be all inclusive’ (IC 2/1/14). I’d like to take up two points in relation to his thoughts: 1.That “horrible and impossible to contemplate turn of events” that he fears, has already taken place. The fact is that God Himself is ‘pro-choice’…

Dear Editor, Regarding ‘The Francis effect bringing people back to the Church (IC 14/11/13), the impact of Pope Francis on Catholics and non-Catholics alike has been heart-warming, impressive and very positive. I would be concerned, however, that the religious practice of a considerable number of ‘returned’ Catholics appears to be based on the personality of one man.…

Dear Editor, As I understand it, there are six days in the Church’s calendar, as well as Sundays, which are designated Holy days of Obligation in the Irish Church. These are: December 8, Feast of The Immaculate Conception; Christmas Day; St Patrick’s Day; August 15, Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary; November 1,…

Dear Editor, As I understand the purpose and objective of Reform Alliance, it is definitely not to establish another political party, since I believe we have sufficient already, in fact too many! Personally I think the objective of Reform Alliance is what it says, namely to reform the existing and outdated draconian political system that has…

Dear Editor, I do hope that Fr Gabriel Daly’s attack on Cardinal Levada (IC Letters 12/12/13) will not go unanswered.  It is not likely that Cardinal Levada will be reading the letters in your paper.  But someone should point out that Fr Gabriel avoided any specific details as to why the cardinal did act as he…

Dear Editor, How interesting to read in The Irish Catholic on January 2, that the ‘Pope Francis effect’ is credited with a surge in numbers at Christmas Masses over and above figures in previous years, and then to read, on the turn of the page, Editor Michael Kelly’s argument for ‘Finding space for the people…

Dear Editor, How relieved I was when, just ahead of Christmas I read in The Irish Catholic the defence – against the worst intentions of a secular Sunday newspaper – of the work of the Capuchin Day Centre and the entirely unpaid role played by Br Kevin Crowley over many years in providing for the…