The internet is a very recent development and not one without its dangers, writes Jason Osborne The weather this summer has left an awful lot to be desired and as a result, we may be inclined to spend more time indoors and on the internet than we would otherwise. Though a very recent innovation, the…

Liam Fitzpatrick Personal profile Stepping off the plane at Dublin Airport and making his way to Shannon, Fr Francis Kochuveettil was nervous. He’d lived in India all his life, giving Mass 2-3 times a day, and heard horror stories about declining attendance and vigour in European churches. Fr Kochuveettil is one of many international priests…

A great many people would probably acknowledge the pursuit of happiness as the goal undergirding many of the choices they make as they live out their lives. However, how many of us truly find it? It’s not as easy a thing to come by as many of us have heard our whole lives. So when someone…

Liam Fitzpatrick When Fr Richard O’Riordan launched his memoir Roots in Exile, his family raced to support him. He shared that the book would launch in Athlone, and his cousins booked their tickets. Only, Fr O’Riordan didn’t mean Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland – he meant Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa. “So…they had to change their…

There are two kinds of analytic philosophers: the ones who like formal logic, and the imposters. I, alas, am one of the latter. Something about seeing arguments represented by symbols instead of words puts my brain completely on the fritz. In university I used to spend ages slaving through the formalisations of arguments in papers…

Insult and bitterness are all the rage in modern discussions about the deep topics, but as Catholics we must model a different way, writes Jason Osborne I’m not sure if it’s always been like this, but discussions today about many, many topics – be it religion, politics, or otherwise – are more often fraught, tense…

Liam Fitzpatrick Personal Profile 50 years ago, the world was a radically different place. U2 hadn’t been formed yet, push-button phones revolutionised communication, and Star Wars wouldn’t come out for another five years. There has been one constant, however – Fr Jerry McSweeney’s priesthood. Navigating his own relationship with God and living through a time…

Reading is one of the most valuable activities to invest in and summer is the perfect time to do so, writes Jason Osborne To my mind, there’s nothing better than finding a free hour or two and sitting down to enjoy a good book. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, diving into a story, real or imagined,…

Personal profile When Msgr Basil O’Sullivan entered All Hallows in September 1950, along with 33 other young men, he did so out of desire to be of service to the global Church. And since his ordination in 1956, he has spent his life ministering to the people of Scotland, a country where he gave and…

The State examinations have just begun and its important your children pace themselves properly as they progress, writes Jason Osborne I sat my Leaving Cert in 2015, which I realise is seven years ago, but as with most of us it feels like yesterday. The year was a blur of 18th birthday parties at the weekends, coupled…