Personal Profile Fr Jim Connolly OFM Cap. first arrived in Zambia in December 1970, one of around 50 Irish Capuchins based in the country. Almost 52 years later and one of the last two Irish Capuchins remaining, Fr Jim continues to keep up their great tradition. Fr Jim, who grew up on a small farm…
Category: Features
Young scientists turning their hands at topical issues
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition continues to showcase bright minds tackling society’s toughest problems, writes Jason Osborne As with last year’s exhibition, this year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition is again set against a backdrop highlighting the importance of science and technology to our modern world: the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at…
Following faithfully God’s call to more
Personal Profile Sr Eileen O’Connell OP made her final profession in December last year. Her path to religious life came almost as a surprise to her. She had a general sense that the she was being called to more, and faithfully following it, she came to the Dominican sisters, Cabra. The Faith was important to…
Dealing with loneliness
The early days of the pandemic long behind us, loneliness continues to plague many with force, writes Jason Osborne Loneliness has been a problem since people began walking the earth – God creating Eve after noting that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Unfortunately, despite the heart’s deep desire for communion, with God and…
Teaching the endless interest of the Bible
Personal Profile Fr Kieran O’Mahony OSA is one of Tarsus Scripture School’s founders and key lecturers. The expert in Biblical Scholarship has dedicated his life to conveying his great love of Scripture to interested laity and religious, in the hopes that they too might see that the Scriptures are “endlessly interesting”. The Dublin-based priest was…
How to make and keep New Year’s resolutions
New Year’s resolutions can be a meaningless fad or a useful blessing, but it’s up to you to decide how they play out, writes Jason Osborne The dawn of the New Year is a highly symbolic time, prompting widespread reflection about how the last year went and how the next one could go. It’s no…
Helping young people encounter Christ
Personal Profile Tony Foy is executive director of Net Ministries Ireland, a Catholic youth ministry organisation and part of the ‘parallel (or para-)Church’ which Tony says helped foster his own faith. From his youth to his adult life, Tony encountered Christ in a variety of lay organisations, that worked parallel to the sacraments. Brought up…
Break your barrier to truth-seeking
Everyday Philosophy If you think about the intellectual virtues needed to be a good philosopher, or just a good thinker, ‘humility’ doesn’t immediately spring to mind. The way philosophers conduct themselves may have something to do with this, but it’s also just not the most intuitive or obvious answer. ‘Curiosity’ comes to mind before it…
Co-opting consumerism to Catholic advantage
While Christmas Day may be behind us, for us Catholics, Christmas has just begun. Many of us mutter and grumble about the overwhelming commercialisation of the Christmas season in Ireland today, and often with good reason. It does seem as though Christ has been lost in the frenzied rush of buying, wrapping, partying and eating…
A round about route to the priesthood
Personal Profile Massachusetts native Fr Gary Chamberland CSC has been rector of the Notre-Dame Centre for Faith and Reason in Dublin at University Church, St Stephen’s Green for a little over a year-and-a-half. Undertaking the role in July 2020, Fr Chamberland has already faced unprecedented challenges during his ministry in Ireland, with Covid dampening the priest’s ambitious plans. But as Fr Chamberland’s pathway…

Ruadhán Jones







Ben Conroy

