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…
Many women don’t feel an immediate bond with their new-born baby, writes Colm Fitzpatrick You receive the fantastic news that you’re pregnant and will finally be a mother. For nine blissful months you feel baby kicks and eagerly await the arrival of your child. Delivery day comes, and with little effort and no medical…
Tara McGahan When I was planning my Summer holidays this year, I had no idea that they would include a unique experience as part of a group of international media who were in Ireland for the visit of Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families 2018. But, that’s exactly what happened on Saturday…
Personal Profile Matthew Carlson speaks with a conflict-resolution activist Although Brian McKee may have seemed like any other lad growing up in Ireland, he was always a little different than most people his age. Brian grew up in the Passionist Holy Cross parish in Ardoyne, where much of his life revolved around his family,…
Men’s Sheds provide a vital role is combating mental health issues, writes Colm Fitzpatrick Typically, sheds have been understood to be small garden-based shacks which store tools or extra clutter, but a new type of shed taking Ireland by storm is also housing men. And their purpose? To gather for meaningful projects and tackle…
Personal Profile Life is often filled with twists and turns, writes Matthew Carlson A person’s life very rarely moves in a straight path and Diocesan Youth Director Dermot Kelly, is no exception to this wise aphorism. From working in Disney to exploring the importance of pilgrimage, Dermot’s story is a prime example of how God…
Without literature, we lose our humanity, writes Davis Clark The perception among many of us is that reading as an art is slowly fading from public consciousness, as people throw down their Shakespeare in favour of smartphones and Netflix. This is only partially true – literacy is increasing worldwide, and it’s been estimated that…
A Parent’s Perspective When I was a child, it was a regular week-end job to lay down newspaper, take out the box of polishes, cloths and brushes and set to work on the family’s various boots and shoes. It was usually a job for two and my brother or sister and I would take a…
Youth Space Seeing the joy created from volunteering makes it all worth it, writes Emma Meehan On August 25, as part of a CEIST school initiative, 12 fifth year students, accompanied by their teachers, Mr Jason Cotter and Mrs Tina Johnston, had the privilege of travelling to Dublin to volunteer at the Papal Mass…
Vending machines can be corrosive to children’s health, writes Davis Clark Evolutionarily speaking, human beings aren’t built to resist easy doses of glucose, hence the proliferation of fast food restaurants all over the rich world. With a slew of fast food chains available in pretty much every major city, it can be difficult to…
Colm Fitzpatrick
Maria Byrne