Dear Editor, It was very heartening to read of the initiative in Moyross parish in Limerick, which is helping to introduce young people to the workplace by approaching local businesses for student summer work (IC 05/11/2015), and thus answering a need in the community. This is exactly the practical, hands-on approach to parish outreach that…

Dear Editor, how do we help out children to grow in Christ? In the past, our Catholic schools helped greatly in this regard. Alas, that environment has slipped away from us. The young teacher is no longer the committed Christian of past years. The home environment of the young pupil is invaded by technology to…

Dear Editor, Your newspaper has carried many reports and opinion pieces in recent weeks regarding the issue of Holy Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics. It is a challenging question, and my heart goes out to all who have experienced relationship breakdown. I feel that the broader question of worthiness to receive Jesus in the…

Dear Editor, The decline in vocations to the priesthood and religious life in western Europe and the US during the last 30 years is cause for serious concern. The situation in Ireland in this regard is no different from that in the rest of the western world. The main solution adopted to deal with this…

Dear Editor, It was sad to read of Liam Neeson’s part in a video to influence the repeal of the 8th Amendment (IC 22/10/2015). He has been gifted with speaking and acting skills, his heroic roles are those of defending the vulnerable and being a hero in many of his films. How strange that he…

Dear Editor, Regarding the Swedish-type prostitution law which Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald intends to introduce and which has been supported in the pages of this paper (IC 22/10/2015 ‘Border towns at risk of prostitution ‘scourge’, Dromore bishop warns’), this writer believes it is prudent to sound a note of caution here. Firstly, some of the…

Dear Editor, I have been watching with interest the current series of The Meaning of Life on RTÉ television. I’m often tempted to think that the listing in the RTÉ Guide is incorrect and the programme should actually be called The Meaningless of Life. It’s a curious thing that, when it comes to religion, RTÉ…

Dear Editor, After running for 53 years on the national broadcaster the final knell of the bells has sounded for the traditional-style Angelus on RTÉ television. Angelus is a beautiful title of Greek and Latin origin meaning a name, angel or messenger. It was so appropriate to the Annunciation on TV with the icon of…

Dear Editor, Having read the letter by Kieron Wood (IC 08/10/2015) it is obvious that there is continuous ‘Mass confusion’ following the introduction by Vatican II, to enforce upon the faithful Catholics, on the first Sunday of advent 1969, wherein six Protestant denominations collaborated with Vatican II and Pope Paul VI to order a new…

Dear Editor, Cathal Barry (‘Some Catholic teachers feel “intimidated” in faith schools’, IC 22/10/2015) reports that some young teachers feel intimidated or fearful sharing their views on their Catholic faith in Catholic schools.  I hope these teachers will take some solace from the words of Cardinal Basil Hume in his book To Be a Pilgrim,…