A deep frost had carpeted the garden with diamonds. A white mist rose from the stream in the woods, cut through with shafts of golden sunlight. The branches of the naked trees stretched their frosted limbs to the blue sky, where a half moon loitered. From the warmth of the kitchen, where last night’s fire still…
Recently on the popular US television program Saturday Night Live, a comedian made a rather colourful wisecrack in response to an answer that Nancy Pelosi had given to a journalist who had accused her of hating the President. Pelosi had stated that, as a Roman Catholic, she hates no one – and this prompted the…
Róise McGagh asks: At the heart of it all, why are people lonely? Why do we get lonely? A simple question with a very complex answer. Is making an effort to interact with more people in a day the way to cure it? It is estimated that around 400,000 people in Ireland suffer from loneliness.…
Personal Profile Sometimes it is easy to forget just how lucky we are. In Ireland, we are ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. People largely have access to healthcare, free water, some – be it expensive – housing and plenty of food. Niall O’Meara had the opportunity to realise just how lucky…
A magical oceans lab Many people get put off by science, resolving that the subject is either boring or only fit for geniuses to study. However, science is something we should all be exploring and trying to understand. Marine and environmental science is at the forefront of our current affairs with the plastic pollution of…
Children’s Corner Magicians are probably most well known for the trick in which they make a coin vanish, only for it to reappear behind a spectator’s ear. It’s a funny piece of conjuring and usually elicits a roar of laughter from the audience if performed correctly. Believe it or not, there’s a whole branch of…
Questions of Faith All Catholics know that the first Pope was St Peter, but after his martyrdom, who succeeded him? While we’re not entirely sure who followed on from Peter, according to Church tradition, St Linus was the second bishop of Rome who reigned some time between 67-80AD. Multiple sources attest to this, the most…
Even with the best intentions, even with no malice inside us, even when we are faithful, we sometimes cannot not hurt each other. Our human situation is simply too complex at times for us not to wound each other. Here’s an example: Soren Kierkegaard, who spent his whole life trying to be scrupulously faithful to…
‘Is the air in your home affecting your health?,’ asks Róise McGagh ‘Go out and get a bit of fresh air’, we were told, by parents, teachers and friends. Whether we are feeling under the weather mentally or physically. But what is so bad about the indoors? It is a recent enough biome in terms…
Starting on a high note Marking their silver jubilee, the 25th Festival of Youth Orchestras will see young musicians from across Ireland gather in the National Concert Hall next month. Presented by the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras, the festival is the annual celebration of youth orchestras in Ireland, and their members, with a diverse…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Colm Fitzpatrick