Liam Fitzpatrick Personal profile Sleepless night-induced eyebags aside, most college students enjoy their first true taste of freedom in third-level education, seizing the opportunity to grow and develop before the ‘adult world’ whisks them back to reality. But for Michael Tierney, college caused him to “drift” from his Catholic upbringing, meaning he relied on Christ,…
We have many photographs of Thérèse of Lisieux. Her sister Celine loved using a camera and took many photos of Thérèse, but there’s an interesting thing to note in those photos. The British Carmelite Ruth Burrows once did a study of those photos and commented that in all of them, Therese is always somehow alone,…
Elderflower cordial can be found in most stores, making this a delightfully easy yet impressive summer cake to whip up for a party or just as a nice dessert. Ingredients For the roasted rhubarb 400g rhubarb, cut into 4-5cm slices 100g caster sugar ½ lemon, juiced 3 tbsp elderflower cordial For the cake 115g…
The Sunday Gospel St Luke seems to have been fascinated by food! Even the Risen Lord asked the stunned disciples, “have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:41). Luke recalls ten meals, each with a distinctive setting and a special message. The last supper and the welcoming banquet for the return of the prodigal son…
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…
A Parent’s Perspective Pope Francis is a great champion of mothers. I’m sure his latest advice brought a smile to many faces. Speaking at a Mass to mark the conclusion of the 10th World Meeting of Families, he urged mothers to stop ironing their sons’ shirts and to encourage them to get married. I don’t…
Airbnb makes party-ban permanent Holiday rental company Airbnb is to make permanent its ban on parties in homes listed on its platform after it saw a significant drop in reports of unauthorised parties since the ban was put in place in August 2020. Airbnb announced that it had seen a 44% annual drop in the…
Denominational identity in me runs deep. Born, baptised, and raised a Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism is my second nature, like a brand on my skin. I have no regrets about the congenital grip this has on me, even though now I think of it more as a foundation than as an endpoint in my faith…
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…
The Sunday Gospel On the road to Jerusalem Jesus taught the way of discipleship. The spiritual life has been compared to a tripod supported on the legs of prayer, study of our religion and practical action. Today’s Gospel, the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 15: 10-37), is about love in action. On the Sundays in…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Maria Byrne