Fr James Goodwin 2025 has been declared by Pope Francis as a jubilee year. But what does that mean? What is a jubilee? How do we celebrate it? The roots of a jubilee year are found in Scripture. As described in Leviticus 25, every 50th year was to be celebrated as a jubilee year…
Encouraged by a believing friend, I was advised to read the Bible after an argument. I did, and it opened floodgates, says Thomas Colsy While reflecting on my journey to Catholicism, I think it right to explain how and why I came to believe the Catholic Faith was the truth, rather than merely something…
A Religious vocation is not only a gift for the person but also a gift to the Church. A gift is always given on a happy occasion, and when one is offering his/her life to God as a gift, the thought comes up: What’s it like to be a happy religious in today’s world? It’s…
My first words go to the priests, diocesan and religious. I say to you what St Paul said to Timothy. I ask you “to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when (the Bishop) laid (his) hands on you” (2 Tim 1 :6). […] As priests, you are privileged to be pastors of…
In this series of articles, I summarise and reflect on current data which reveals where the Church in Ireland is today and importantly how this informs our step towards the future. Firstly, I will focus on where we are now. Sociologists and anthropologists have taken to religious study across the world to explore secularisation and…
On a windy hill in the north of Ireland, I visited a grave claiming to be St Patrick’s. A couple of other sites vie for that honour, but this hill is a deeply moving place. During St Patrick’s season, my thoughts turn to two other Irishmen on the road to sainthood. There’s Blessed John Sullivan,…
There is an incident in the Gospels where the disciples of Jesus were unable to cast out a particular demon. When they asked Jesus why, he replied that “some demons can only be cast out by prayer.” The demon he was referring in this instance had rendered a man deaf and mute. I want to…
Jesus’ public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John preaches “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. “Then Jesus appears.” the Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, “This is my beloved Son.” This is the…
Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15 Ps 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 Lk 13:1-9 An ancient Christian tradition recounts that the prefect of Rome, Chromatius, fell seriously ill during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (3rd-4th century). It quickly became known that his illness was incurable and deadly. However, upon learning that a close…
The pull of Mount Athos had been there for a long time. Visiting monasteries and knowing Benedictines and Cistercians, it was likely that my sights might turn at some point in the direction of that other monasticism of the Byzantine type. After all, Latin west and Greek east were for so long one and the…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Renata Milán Morales
Fr Dominik Domagala