Canon Colm Kilcoyne traces the development of popular piety and devotion at Knock
Category: Opinion
The Marian ‘style’ of the Church
Mary is model of the Church in terms of its missionary outreach and social engagement, writes Bishop Brendan Leahy
Walking on water and sinking like a stone
Faith has its ups and downs
The Cross of Sacrifice is inappropriate
Dear Editor, I find it astonishing that a Government which pretends to reflect all religions and none should adopt a Christian symbol to commemorate Irish dead in the First World War. I can only describe it as outstanding hypocrisy. I also object to the term “sacrifice” in this context. The deaths of the soldiers in…
The ‘Church’ includes all baptised
Dear Editor, May we ourselves be the change we wish to see in the Church and indeed the world? Too often we want to change only that external to ourselves, and to seek “inclusivity” only to facilitate our own exclusive opinion and positions, and may indeed while calling for inclusivity, be quite exclusive and self-centred…
Ireland is suffering a ‘religious cleansing’
Dear Editor, The army has been prohibited from participating in the Annual Easter Commemoration Mass at Arbour Hill, but there was no difficulty in allowing the band of An Gárda Síochána to take part in the Gay Pride procession in Dublin some months ago.It is only a few years ago since the Christmas Crib was…
Atrocities in the Middle East
Dear Editor, The forced expulsion of Iraqi Christians from their homes by ISIS is a great human tragedy and should not be happening in the 21st Century. It is a great crime and humanitarian disaster. It should be strongly condemned by all right thinking people who believe in religious freedom and democracy. ISIS ideology is…
O’Connell memorial
Dear Editor, Thanks to The Irish Catholic for Martin O’Brien’s insightful interview of Francis Campbell, who has taken over the leadership of London’s St Mary’s University. As an Irishman, Mr Campbell follows in the footsteps of many great Irish Vincentians most notably Fr Kevin Cronin and Fr Des Beirne. One aspect of Mr Campbell’s campaigning…
Church attacks are disgraceful
Dear Editor, I’m finding the rise in attacks on churches in this country deeply disturbing. Last week’s paper reported an attack on a church in Limerick – Our Lady of Lourdes – and in previous weeks I remember there had been another church attack in Kilkeel, Co. Down followed by a synagogue that was attacked…
The witchcraft connection of the deadly Ebola virus
Superstition and sickness

Courtney McGrail
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Mags Gargan
Mary Kenny