WMOF 2018 Martin Kennedy   People long for love that lasts. And such love is really possible. This is the good news at the heart of Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) which Pope Francis invites us to embrace and share. The World Meeting of Families 2018 Parish Conversations programme is a resource available to…

Youth Space Niamh O’Sullivan, Rosa Geoghegan and Sarah Lennon   Holy Child Killiney is a school in the Le Chéile Trust and has a tradition of undertaking an Immersion Project with Fifth Year students which has involved travelling to Kenya and Kolkata. The initiative echoes the Christian ethos of the Le Chéile Mission statement and continues…

Feature Colm Fitzpatrick reports from a conference dealing with the complexities of ethics in sport   Gambling addiction, mental health awareness, the role of comedy and fond memories of our sporting past were among a vast array of talks and discussed at a conference this month exploring the relationship between ethics and sport. “Sport is…

Youth Space   Mairead Duffy reports on a trip to Medjugorje by Holy Trinity College, Cookstown and St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon   It has been said that when our Lady wants you to go to Medjugorje she will call you. She most certainly called each and every member of our group. It has also been…

The remarkable story of a heroic Irishwoman during World War II is only now coming to the fore, writes Clodagh Finn   On a clear, bright morning in late June 2014, Prof. Ronald Friend set out along the Rue du Nord to find the school where he and his brother had been hidden in plain…

Youth Space   Nestled away in a quiet corner of Ballycastle, people of all backgrounds and ages are letting their voices being heard loud and clear, through a unique initiative that promotes discussion of key Irish issues. Conversations That Matter is a dialogue process between young adults from across the island of Ireland with the…

Parents are inundated with ‘expert’ advice and judgement, but ultimately you must trust your instincts, writes Maia Dunphy   One of the most widely abused clichés you hear when you become a mum is some variation of ‘Ah, parenthood! If only it came with a handbook!’ Guess what … it does. And it has done…

Youth Space Colm Fitzpatrick reports from a conference for Catholic young adults   In 1 Peter 3:5, all Christians are taught, “Whenever anyone asks of you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it”. This was the key theme at a recent Catholic apologetics conference in Belfast which celebrated both faith and reason.…

Each of us has a divine spark that can fuel our own happiness and brighten the lives of those around us, writes Martina Lehane Sheehan   Research in positive psychology suggests that while around 50% of our happiness levels are influenced by genetic components, only 10% are attributable to external circumstances, despite the huge amount…

Colm Fitzpatrick speaks with missionaries about their impact in South Sudan In a place of despair, starvation and even death, Irish missionaries have begun to bring hope back into the down-trodden lives of thousands. South Sudan remains one of the world’s poorest countries, and continues to be ravaged by violence, illness and extreme poverty which…