I remember seeing Pope Francis at World Meeting of Families back in 2018. His reserved reception of the higher echelons of Irish society in Dublin Castle contrasted nicely with his off-script and familiar remarks to us who went to see him in Croke Park. I felt like he was standing up for us who have…
Although suffering is unavoidable, we can see in it an ultimate meaning and value, says Jason Conroy Well, how has your Lent gone? Forgive me if I’m not surprised if your record isn’t exactly pristine. I’ve always noticed that by the time Good Friday comes around I’ve often been practically brought to my knees trying…
Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Col 3:1-4 OR 1 Cor 5:6b-8 Jn 20:1-9 My good friend recently shared a story about a man he met in a Brazilian prison nearly 30 years ago. Sentenced for a crime he indeed committed, he had little hope of an early release and regaining his freedom.…
The need for a more realistic understanding of the Irish Church Our experience, understanding and relationships are important in helping us to lead others to Christ. Since our experience is limited and can be subject to bias, real-life data supplements this to strengthen and clarify our approach. This article focuses on factors that…
The role of the faithful in maintaining the balance For Christians, the challenge is to be careful of patterns of thought or habits of communication that too readily divide the world into ‘us’ and ‘them’, writes Fr Chris Hayden We live in a time of name-calling, pigeon-holing, and labelling. Perhaps, given our flawed human…
The sacred power of the religious habit In a world where everyone’s obsessed with being unique, the habit makes the most countercultural statement of all, ‘My truest self (Identity) is found only in Christ,’ writes Bro. Oman Ashraf OSA The religious habit is like a flame in the fog of modern life, where so…
Q: How could Jesus’ death ‘cleanse us from our sins’ and ‘assure our entrance into Heaven’? If that is the case, why do we need confession? A: First, since it pertains to some of the deepest mysteries of our faith, I think the exact ‘mechanics’ of how Jesus’ passion and death redeemed the fallen human race…
The events surrounding the Passion and death of Jesus feature many interesting characters who show up and are then entered into legend. Joseph of Arimathea, Simon of Cyrene, the centurion. But among the secret believers is one who is not, one who in fact seemed to be the opposite of Jesus and that is the…
In the busy life of a young person trying to juggle school, work, hobbies, family and our social lives, sometimes we might forget the importance of stepping away from the constant hustle and bustle of life and giving time to reflect on spiritual growth and reconnect with God. Yet, this is often exactly what we…
Recently, the Youth 2000 regional Spring retreat for Connaught took place in The Claddagh, Galway. Facilitated by Youth 2000 National Leader, Helena O’Shea and organised by Connaught Youth 2000 leaders, Kathryn Freney and Stiofán Mac Brádaigh, the tone was set for the one-day retreat by final-year psychology student, Kieran Barrett-Gomez. Kieran, a convert to Catholicism,…
Fr Dominik Domagala