No community should botch its deaths. The renowned anthropologist, Mircea Eliade, suggested this and its truth applies to communities at every level. No family should send off a member without proper reflection, ritual and blessings. On December 26, 2018, the family of art and the family of faith lost a cherished member. Sr Wendy Beckett,…
My husband suffers really badly with the January blues, whereas I don’t. This has an impact on the atmosphere in our house and I’m finding it difficult. What should I do? This is difficult as I am sure you depend on your spouse as do your children, and when he is sluggish or low…
Questions of Faith In the last few decades there has been a resurging belief within popular culture and even among Christians that God created Jesus – and this is no small number. A survey conducted by Lifeway Research a few years ago, which interviewed 3,000 Americans about their theological views, revealed that 78% believed that…
Getting in the zone For Boyzone fanatics this will be a dream come true as the boyband celebrates 25 years as a group, and releases what they say will be their final album, ‘Thank You and Goodnight’. The four remaining members – Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch – have come a long…
Schools are increasingly faced with the challenge of understanding how adversity affects children’s growth, writes Bronagh Starrs Several generations ago, the school environment was a compartmentalised space where children carried their books and a simple lunch to each day – and even maybe a clod or two of turf for the fire. The world…
Medical Matters Speed is of the essence when faced with a stroke. The latest figures for life expectancy in Ireland have once again improved with the average age of death for males now at 79.9 years and females 83.6 years. This puts life expectancy for males here at higher than the EU average and…
How is your January going? I have a feeling it is going to be a challenging month. The calendar is already looking rather full and I have a strong feeling of “Oh dear, here we go again!” I would have to admit that I tumbled into the Christmas season exhausted and dosed with a very…
Personal Profile Msgr Liam Kelly is ready to jump into his new role with both feet, writes Colm Fitzpatrick The old phrase ‘one-trick pony’ can be applied to most achievers, but with a background in teaching, farming, woodwork, and football, this equestrian expression could hardly be used of Msgr Liam Kelly. Having been a…
Fed with bread Would you like to learn how to make local Irish breads in a very relaxed atmosphere within a small group? If so, why not head to a thatched barn in Co. Down where you can hear about traditional breads, how they formed the diet pre and post famine in Ireland, and then…
Sweet Treats Laura Anderson This January as many of us endeavour to make a healthy start to 2019 it doesn’t mean having to abandon your favourite baked treats. These refined sugar, dairy and gluten free brownies are a great way to get a delicious chocolate hit, without the guilt! Even better, with all…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Wendy Grace
Colm Fitzpatrick
Dr Kevin McCarroll
Bairbre Cahill