Choosing to buy your child a mobile phone is a complex and difficult decision, writes Colm Fitzpatrick In years gone past, choosing a Christmas present for your child rarely raised any moral conundrums or worries about what long-lasting effects it may have on their development. A quick glance at history’s most popular presents from…
Youth Space Gerry Doherty reflects on his spiritual journey with Youth 2000 “I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord!” (Phil. 4:4) These were the words that have stayed with me since the night my 16-year-old self had first arrived at the Youth 2000 Summer Retreat in Cistercian College, Roscrea on August 16, 2014. I want to tell you why this phrase is…
Sugar has become an intrusive and corrosive part of our culinary life, writes Colm Fitzpatrick “Sweet-tooth” is often a phrase tossed around describing someone with a penchant for sugary goods, and while it seems like this term only applies to a small number of people, in reality, most of us are secretly addicted to…
Personal Profile The Croatian community are a vital source of hope in Ireland, writes Colm Fitzpatrick Although a priest is sometimes described as a shepherd tending to his flock, it’s clear that Croatian chaplain Fr Josip Levakovic radically embodies this phrase. Arriving to Ireland in July 2016, Fr Josip has managed to bring life,…
Patrick Ussher Through the pain and suffering of hardship and illness, there can emerge a beam of light. Over time, that light can become increasingly brighter until, eventually, it can illuminate your life in a wholly new way. Illness does not have to define us. We can be ill, yet whole. When I was a…
While the Christian message has traditionally been spread at Mass and passed on from generation to generation, one priest has decided to open up new evangelical frontiers. Dublin-based priest Fr Justin Gillespie is making leaps and bounds in proclaiming the Faith to young adults both in Ireland and across international waters through the power of…
Christmas time really shouldn’t break the bank, writes Colm Fitzpatrick The Christmas period usually elicits imagery of family gatherings, present-sharing and festive cuisine, but behind this ideal, parents are struggling to cope with the financial costs and burdens that have become part and parcel of this Christian event. And although it seems incongruent to…
Personal Profile Some believers can make the Faith their own, writes Colm Fitzpatrick Very few people in Ireland can say that one of their creations has been blessed by a Pope, but luckily for retired farmer Noel Ward, he is one of these very few. The Cork-born man had a chance to witness Pope…
Waking up earlier in the morning will change your life for the better, writes Colm Fitzpatrick During the winter season, when mornings and nights are both cold and dark, the prospect of voluntarily waking up at 4.30am seems like an untenable and daunting nightmare. To intentionally remove yourself from the comforting warmth of your…
Personal Profile Colm Fitzpatrick writes about how we can learn from the Travelling community Most priests spend their time ministering to their parish communities and those on the margins, but as chaplain for the Travelling community in Ireland, Fr Tom Naughton has truly taken this vocation of outreach to heart. The Limerick-born priest who…
Colm Fitzpatrick