Dear Editor, The passing of Bishop Dermot O’Mahoney recalls his influence in the birth and growth of St Ciaran’s parish in Hartstown, Dublin 15. In 1978 it was all green fields and there was not a single house in the area. The influx was all young people starting families but not going into the confessional…

Dead Editor, Over five days recently the BBC carried a marvellous programme about the work of an Irish Presentation sister from Cork in the most deprived areas of Manchester entitled Sister Rita to the Rescue. I hope this series will be rescreened by RTÉ. What a hope! RTÉ is only interested in reporting on the…

Dear Editor, My congratulations on a magnificent 1916 supplement in the December 17 edition. While it is slightly invidious to suggest any one aspect of the uniformly excellent coverage for particular commendation, I think you are especially to be praised for acknowledging the diversity of opinions that existed, and still do, within the Church regarding…

Dear Editor, The so-called ‘silent majority’ will sleepwalk into a “post Catholic” (Ruairi Quinn quote) ‘liberalised’ Ireland unless they wake up and realise that they ARE a majority, and a majority that can make a huge difference to the direction Ireland is heading by letting their voices be heard. There is an election coming up…

Dear Editor, I have been impressed in recent months with your new ‘Parenting Matters’ series by Dr Colm Humphries, but was especially moved by the most recent column, ‘Children are able to sense conflict without seeing it’ (IC 10/12/2015). Dr Humphries’ description of how we can instinctively pick up on things being wrong, even when…

Dear Editor, It was interesting to read your front page story last week (‘Families need secure homes this Christmas – Archbishop’) in which Archbishop Eamon Martin called on the Government to do more to help indebted families who are dreading the financial pressures of Christmas. There seems to be a Celtic Tiger sense of giddiness…

Dear Editor, Your recent front page on the Mercy on the Mall initiative in Shannon parish (IC 26/11/2015) should be an inspiration to other priests during this Year of Mercy. Having Confessions heard by priests in a shopping centre reminds me of a recent trip to New York when clergy were posted at subway stations…

Dear Editor, In relation to Fr Oliver Rafferty’s concerns about the content of the theology courses in St Patrick’s College (‘Maynooth rejects claim it pays ‘lip service’ to theology’ IC 03/12/2015). Msgr Hugh Connolly should not be placed in the position where he feels compelled to defend the college of which he is president.  My…

Dear Editor, The Paris atrocities have been widely covered on media reports and rightly so since nobody wants to see innocent people being murdered. However, I hope that in future we will see more balanced coverage of the air strikes now taking place against ISIS. In the TV reports covering the French response we were…

Dear Editor, Martin Mansergh (The View, IC 03/12/2015) states how “our military neutrality is a policy”. As such, it primarily concerns our interests. Yet our ideals or values arise as well. Bunreacht na hÉireann (Art. 29) mentions the “pacific (ie non-belligerent) settlement of international disputes”. Hence a constitutional endorsement of the “ideal of peace”.  Historically,…