Charlotte Vard Young people face many new challenges that some adults who are of a different generation are not aware of. From the daily broadcast of their every move on social media, to dealing with the heightened anxiety that stems from the need to ‘fit in’, young people live life online. TikTok is often their…
Category: Family & Faith
Show more appreciation to strengthen the marriage bond
Marta Osborne Recently in an argument my husband said that I only see the things he doesn’t do and don’t appreciate his efforts enough. What can I do to improve our communication and avoid becoming overly critical? It just so happens that we find it easier to criticise people close to us than to praise…
Vaccination will become a regular affair for high-risk patients
Medical Matters We are now well into the phase of ‘living with Covid’ with the vast majority of the population either having been vaccinated or contracted infection. Hospitalisation rates have dropped and newly confirmed cases are also in decline. It is also estimated that those who are incompletely or not vaccinated continue to be disproportionately…
How to make ethical financial decisions for the planet
This month saw the release of another stark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the third in a series of red alerts from the United Nations, calling for governments around the world to urgently respond to the climate crisis. The report painted a grim picture of a world with rising greenhouse gas…
Family News
‘Stolen’ Darwin manuscripts anonymously returned Two Charles Darwin manuscripts that were reported as stolen from Cambridge University Library have been anonymously returned in a pink gift bag, with a typed note on an envelope wishing a Happy Easter to the librarian. The precious items were found to be missing in 2001, but at the time…
Love as an active verb
Mindful Living In my article in February I wrote about meditation and marriage and how both contribute to deepening our sense of who we are at the deepest level of our being. Couples are often reminded at the marriage ceremony to view love, not as a noun, but as an action verb; to see love…
Faith in the Family
After two years of celebrating the most important week in our liturgical calendar behind closed doors, we are finally to welcome people back into church. How lucky are we! I mentioned this at a recent parent meeting for those whose children wish to be confirmed. Many blank faces looked back at me. I wondered, did…
A traditional Czech Mazanec (Easter Bread)
My babi (granny) makes this bread a lot. It is a traditional Czech bread which is served around Easter, Christmas, or other special celebrations and is a kind of mix between a brioche and challah. This Easter version is usually shaped in a round loaf to symbolise the sun, with a cross cut into the…
Family News
Proposal to expand nature reserves to 30% globally Expanding nature reserves to cover at least 30% of the planet by 2030 is the flagship proposal of high-stakes talks to rescue Earth’s animals and plants from human destruction. But experts agree that a new target is the easy part and will be ineffective without funding and…
Catholics can transform toxic work environments
A parent’s perspective I was reading a Facebook post recently about a woman who wanted to scale back on her working hours due to chronic illness. She was hoping for some sort of flexibility and understanding of her position having been an exemplary employee in the past. Her boss was not too eager to facilitate…




Dr Kevin McCarroll






Maria Byrne