Category: Your Faith

How do you become Pope?

Questions of Faith The Pope doesn’t have an easy job; while some think of him as a mysterious man who lives in the Vatican, Catholics know him as the head of the Church and a shepherd to his entire flock. The Catechism describes his role as such: “For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his…

To do…or not do?

Everyone procrastinates but it can become a problem when it takes over our lives, writes Colm Fitzpatrick   There’s washing to be ironed, bills to be paid and that murder-mystery novel you’ve always wanted to write (but never found the time). With all the tasks that need to be completed in your life, it’s hard…

Damaging effects of Pornography

A Parent’s Perspective   I have a daughter who is 13 years old, a year younger than Ana Kriegel was when she was cruelly murdered. The early teenage years should be lovely, carefree happy years, those precious years between childhood and adulthood. My mother used to love an old Val Doonican song titled ‘The Special…

Family News and Events

Eat your vegetables! – study Meat and spuds is a staple in every Irish home but a new study has suggested that staving off the poultry might reduce your chances of cognitive decline. According to research carried out by Prof. Koh Woon Puay which has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating…

What constitutes fidelity?

It’s becoming increasing difficult in today’s world to trust anything or anybody, for good reason. There’s little that’s stable, safe to lean on, trustworthy. We live in a world where everything is in flux, is flux, where everywhere we see distrust, abandoned values, debunked creeds, people moving on from where they used to be, contradictory…

A Franciscan friar for the farmers

Personal Profile Bro. Tony Dolan’s agricultural initiatives have changed lives, writes Colm Fitzpatrick   The Italian friar St Francis of Assisi is renowned for his love of nature and is globally known as the Patron Saint of Ecologists. While few can claim that they have successfully captured the attention of birds through preaching, one Irish…

Caring and cultivating house plants

Green Fingers “I’ve lived in small rooms, flats, growing plants in pots on window sills. I’ve had liked to have had a full-hedged garden with all kinds of flowers and plants. I’ve never had enough money to buy a big enough garden space.” – Ruskin Bond. The above quote from the great author/poet is something…

Dad’s Diary

I am entering the ‘taxi driver’ stage of parenthood. My little customers have busy schedules and must be ferried at the appointed time to brownies, gymnastics, rugby training, soccer training, GAA training, Irish dancing classes, flute lessons, singing lessons, tin whistle lessons, swimming and weekends away, together with sundry playdates, birthday parties and so forth.…

How did Judas Iscariot die?

Questions of Faith Judas Iscariot is known as the apostle who betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane – an act which ultimately led to the crucifixion. Emeritus Pope Benedict explained in 2006 that the betrayal took place in two moments: “first of all in its planning phase, when Judas comes to an agreement with…

A world at your feet

Spending time outdoors can make a massive difference to your life, writes Colm Fitzpatrick Do you remember how you had fun during your childhood? Is it radically different to how kids spend their leisure time today? When the older generation reflect on how they spent their youth, usually the images of hopscotch, conkers and tag…