Personal Profile Young people will open up to God if we bring the message to them, Colm Fitzpatrick learns With an increasing number of young people no longer formally and institutionally identifying with the Catholic faith, being in the business of evangelisation can be a tough job. What’s needed are novel and captivating approaches that…
A Lullymore Christmas With the kids off school for the Christmas holidays, why not treat them to a magical trip to Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park to celebrate the festivities? The Kildare event which runs until December 23 includes a memorable visit from Santa and a special gift from the busy elves in their workshop.…
Questions of Faith In the last two decades or so, there has been a powerful worldwide focus on the impact of global warming. It’s widely accepted that if this problem is not tackled, it will detrimentally affect future generations. Climate activists have shaken up the consumerist status quo, challenging all of us to live in…
You should try out an eco-friendly Christmas this year, writes Colm Fitzpatrick The environment has a litany of enemies who are all determined to suffocate and destroy it. The list is almost endless; carbon emissions, deforestation, plastic pollution and oil spills all contribute to ensuring the planet will not be in a fit state…
Advent feels like a good time to be thinking about parenting. We are conscious of Mary and Joseph – parents to be – their expectation, their anxiety, the advice coming from all sides, the whispers in the background about Mary’s pregnancy, the prospect of a long journey with Mary heavily pregnant. As well as being…
What would Jesus do? For some Christians, that’s the easy answer to every question. In every situation all we need to ask is: what would Jesus do? At a deep level, that’s actually true, Jesus is the ultimate criterion. He is the way, the truth, and the life and anything that contradicts him is not…
Personal Profile Students can be a source of hope and encouragement, Colm Fitzpatrick learns It’s tough being a chaplain, especially when it involves providing pastoral support to students in one of Northern Ireland’s most popular universities. Fr Dominic McGrattan has recently been appointed as chaplain in Queen’s University, Belfast, replacing Fr Gerard Magee. He describes…
Robin Hood Panto He steals from the rich and gives to the poor – the famous story of Robin Hood will be performed this December in Liberty Hall Theatre Dublin. The whole family will get to watch the legendary outlaw, along with Maid Marion, Nursie Nellie Nu Nu and the Merry Men as they try…
Mindful Living Since Advent began, we have been waiting for Christmas. For most children, since they returned to school after Halloween, they have been inundated with messages about Christmas. Between targeted ads on television and social media and huge displays on the streets and in the shops, the overriding message has been about wanting more.…
Children’s Corner If you’re a natural performer or just want to move out of your comfort zone, why not try entertaining your family and friends over Christmas with some magic? This is a time of year when all of your family are together under one roof, making it the perfect opportunity to show off all…
Colm Fitzpatrick
Bairbre Cahill
Fr Ronald Rolheiser