Everyday Philosophy Analogies are a powerful aid to the truth-seeker. By comparing two relevantly similar situations, you can move from conclusions about one to conclusions about the other. Analogies can help expose inconsistencies: (‘how would you react if these accusations were being made against Bill Clinton rather than Donald Trump?’) or to help make a…
Everywhere in Church circles today you hear a lament: our churches are emptying. We’ve lost our youth. This generation no longer knows or understands the classical theological language. We need to announce Jesus again, as if for the first time, but how? The church is becoming evermore marginalised. That’s the situation pretty much everywhere within…
Personal Profile The African Church can teach us more about Ireland than we think, Colm Fitzpatrick learns With over 30 years of missionary experience in Ghana, a Kerry-based priest believes the Irish Church can learn a lot from its African counterpart. The second eldest of eight children, Fr Patsy Lynch who serves as parish…
I am currently organising an event for my mother – or I should say in memory of my mother. Next year it will be fifty years since she died and I believe that it is important to mark that. It seems to me that the best way to do that is to gather her family,…
Wicklow Christmas market During December, Christmas markets are installed across the world and Ireland is no different to this practice. The Wicklow market which begins on November 23 and lasts three weeks will offer a selection of local artisan foods, decorations, gifts, workshops and even a visit from Santa himself! This year, there will also…
Love Notes Both myself and my husband used to be really good out on a ‘date night’ but, since we have had our first baby, she isn’t ready to be babysat and I feel at this point we wouldn’t be able to leave her for a few hours, but lack of time out is having…
Questions of Faith Now more than ever, people are freely opting for a plant-based lifestyle not only to improve their health but also for moral reasons. It’s estimated that about 11% of the global population is vegetarian and this number is increasing daily given society’s changing attitudes towards meat consumption. For Catholics who are considering…
Christmas spending doesn’t require breaking the bank, writes Colm Fitzpatrick For children, Christmas is a magical day in the Christian calendar where gifts, toys and sweets miraculously appear in large, overstuffed stockings. However, behind the innocent smiles of children overwhelmed by the presents before them, is usually the worry of a stressed parent unsure…
Medical Matters The fight in the battle against Alzheimer’s got some positive news last month when the results of a drug trial raised hope and promise for a potential new ground breaking therapy. Disappointedly, the search for new medicines to treat Alzheimer’s has been a story of gloom and failure spanning more than 15 years…
What does it mean to have a vocation? The term gets batted around both in religious and secular circles and everyone assumes its meaning is clear. Is it? What’s a vocation? Karl Jung defined it this way: “A vocation is an irrational factor that destines a man to emancipate himself from the herd and from…
Ben Conroy
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Colm Fitzpatrick
Bairbre Cahill
Wendy Grace
Dr Kevin McCarroll