Dear Editor, I was glad to see Bishop Christy Jones and priests from around the country speaking out at the devastation of rural Ireland (IC 23/07/2015). Bit by bit rural towns are being picked apart with the closure of post offices and Garda stations. Smaller rural hospitals are being downgraded. Soon we will have to…

Dear Editor, I live near Knock Shrine and in recent years a basilica has been built, an airport has been provided near Charlestown and Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta have visited the shrine. More recently the basilica has been renovated. Sadly in recent decades the Faith in Ireland has declined a…

Dear Editor, I don’t find myself in agreement with Fr Rolheiser in his article of July 2 ‘The God of our desires’. I would make the following comments: God may not be the focus of human desires; virtue does not envy sin; prayer, meditation and true religion are not a disruption to life but an…

Dear Editor, Dr Martin Mansergh’s opinion piece (IC 09/07/2015) was a relatively balanced analysis of issues connected with the recent royal visit to Mullaghmore. Dr Mansergh also provided some useful and insightful commentary around the calibre of person that Lord Mountbatton was. Our organisation abhors terrorism and violence whether carried out by republican or loyalist…

Dear Editor, I wish to remind the faithful that we are coming to the second anniversary of the Consecration of Ireland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Church in Ireland has had its struggles in recent times but we can take heart from the fact that the Irish bishops consecrated Ireland to the Immaculate…

Dear Editor, I wish to congratulate Bishop Kevin Doran and Bishop Phoncie Cullinan on their recent statements on political church gate collections. I spent 50 years of my life in Australia and such collections would not be tolerated. The political parties were very fast to close the Vatican embassy and have no shame in holding…

Dear Editor, I was surprised to read in The Irish Catholic of 16/07/15 that church gate collections are still taking place in certain parts of the country. The blame for the fact that they are taking place must be shared between the political parties and churchgoers. They would not take place if churchgoers confronted the…