A Parent’s Perspective At the 49th International Eucharistic Congress in 2008 in Quebec, Canada, Pope Benedict XVI spoke passionately via satellite about the Eucharist as “our most beautiful treasure” and “the sacrament per excellence”, introducing us early into eternal life. The theme of the congress that year was ‘The Eucharist, gift of God for the…
My eldest daughter skipped downstairs to breakfast, threw her arms in the air in triumph, and announced delightedly: “Today we are going to see nana and granddad!” It had been almost three months since the kids had met with their beloved grandparents. This pandemic-induced hiatus was all the more frustrating, knowing that they were just…
Children’s Corner There’s a lot to be learnt about how certain objects interact with water. It can also raise a of questions. Fruit for example, why do certain fruits that look big float, while a smaller fruit might sink? One of the biggest factors here is density. When trying to guess if an object will…
Helping kids move from primary to secondary Transitioning from primary to secondary school can be difficult and intimidating for children, what better way to get them prepared than an outdoor skills programme in the wilds of Co. Mayo? The day of fun, adventure and life learning is said to be an opportunity to; -Explore how…
Everyday philosophy There’s a chant that people seeking radical change have used for decades: it was used in the black civil rights movement in the US in the 1960s, and we’ve heard it a lot from the protesters in the past weeks. The chant is: “No justice, no peace.” The statement being made by the…
The hippocampus, deep within our brain, gathers and organises short term memories, laying down the synaptic pathways for long term memories. Every time we recall a memory we travel down that synaptic pathway and the more we do so, the stronger and more lasting the memory becomes. Memories have the capacity to shape attitudes and…
One of the things myself and my wife are finding really difficult to stay on top of is the housework. With the family at home all the time it is a never ending merry go round of cooking and cleaning and we are both feeling overwhelmed by it all. It’s hard not to feel burdened…
Getting support for loss and grief An eight-week online support group will begin later this month to assist people dealing with loss. Coping with the loss of someone or something is challenging. Grieving can be associated with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any…
Living Laudato Si’ During Laudato Si’ Week, May 17-24 this year, we were treated to a huge online celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home. Many international speakers, musicians, poets, theologians, activists and families came together to reflect on Laudato Si’ five years on. One of the highlights of Laudato…
Medical Matters As we move to into the next phase of the ‘unwinding’ of the coronavirus lockdown it is apparent that restrictions of some sort will remain with us for some time. Covid-19 has been the focus of many scientific articles and studies but while there are still many unknowns, we have learned much…
Maria Byrne
Chai Brady
Ben Conroy
Bairbre Cahill
Wendy Grace
Dr Kevin McCarroll