Well, it was a strange St Patrick’s Day for sure – a more sombre and sober one than we’re used to. Maybe, despite Mass cancellations, it was a more spiritual celebration than usual. At least that option was certainly on offer. The media, social and otherwise, played their part by broadcasting streamed religious services across…

Some of last week’s programmes provided insight into the interplay between past and present. Toras Cosnochta (RTÉ2, Wednesday) was an impressive first episode in a two-part series about pilgrims in Lough Derg. We got beautiful aerial shots of the island, the water on the lake took on a deep personality of its own and in…

I’ve been sampling a few TV dramas of late, and while some deal with religious themes it’s usually peripheral, as if the programme makers are either unwilling or incapable of more depth when it comes to religious faith. The Split (BBC1, Tuesdays) captures relationship conflict and family dysfunction in a credible way.  The first few…

Watching the news coverage last week, the atmosphere in Leinster House as the 33rd Dáil got under way was largely cheerful and celebratory – especially as we saw the newly elected TDs arrive in style or not, often with their proud families. However, on last Thursday night’s Nine News (RTÉ1) we saw things getting nasty…

Frequently in these pages contributors speculate and agon-ise over what is needed to make the Church healthy and vibrant into the future. No easy solutions there, but cheerfulness, positivity, purpose, service and innovation will go a long way. Sr Stanislaus Kennedy encapsulates all of the above and watching the excellent documentary Being Stan – A…

As I wrote a few weeks ago, I’ve always thought that religious belief and practice has to make sense on a human level. One of our human characteristics seems to be a need for ritual. Some rituals are faith related, but when the ritual lingers after the faith has been left behind I feel there’s…

Last week I wrote about the March for Life in Washington.  During the week other significant gatherings came across my radar. Most bizarre of all was the march on Washington portrayed in Messiah, an intriguing 10-part drama series on Netflix. This dramatic march was led by a character thought by his followers to be the…

You’ll struggle to find anything about it in the Irish media, but last Friday’s March for Life in Washington was impressive by any standards. March for Life (EWTN’s live coverage) was broadcast most of the afternoon and evening. Probably the most prominent part of the event was the address by President Trump – the first…

I’m not a great fan of attaching celebrities to programmes, but I can understand that they  will boost ratings, and high ratings help ensure that a show can thrive. Former President Mary McAleese has been attached to many RTÉ programmes, the latest being All Walks of Life (RTÉ1) which started last Friday. It’s a simple…

We’ve always had to put up with extremism and while it is fuelled nowadays by social media, it is not dependent on modern technology. Religious extremism is the worst of all, mimicking something that should be about love and dignity. The phenomenon is particularly evident in cults and in cultish behaviour sometimes found in mainstream…