With just 19 weeks to go to the opening of the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin a visit from Pope Benedict XVI seems increasingly unlikely. Well, at least to the Republic. But, the Pope could still make a visit to the North as part of a carefully choreographed sequence aimed at demonstrating just how…
Praying One of the reasons we need to pray is so that we don’t lose heart. We all do sometimes. We lose heart whenever frustration, tiredness, fear and helplessness in the face of life’s humiliations conspire together to paralyse our energies, deaden our resiliency, drain our courage and leave us feeling weak in depression.…
Lyric FM Gloria Listeners to Sunday morning’s Lyric FM Gloria will instantly recognise Tim Thurston. His rich baritone voice and unusual name arrests anybody turning the dial and tuning in. The popular Sunday morning radio programme, which runs from 8am to 10am, had its beginnings in December 1996. It was a selection of Christmas…
Tyrone man devotes himself to pilgrimage As Catholics there are many ways that we can show devotion to our faith. Regular attendance at Mass and perhaps voluntary work in our dioceses are ways that spring to mind immediately. Then there are pilgrimages. Year after year Irish people flock to significant religious destinations on the…
Dublin’s Capuchin Day Centre is working to meet increasing needs, writes Paul Keenan Mid-way through his interview at the Capuchin Day Centre, gardai come for Bro. Kevin Crowley. The interruption and feigned admissions of guilt become a moment of levity in an otherwise serious dealing with the ongoing work of — and need for…
Wexford parish concludes year of service The faith community of St Martin, Piercestown and St Catherine, Murrintown in Co. Wexford came together last weekend to mark the conclusion of a successful Year of Celebrating Service. The idea for the special year came from the joint pastoral council formed in 2009 who were looking at ways…
Vatican may face huge tax bill The head of the Italian bishops’ conference has signalled the Vatican may be willing to examine tax obligations amid new austerity measures in Italy. As world media reported a growing campaign within the country’s parliament towards seeking taxation on the Vatican’s extensive property portfolio, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco indicated…
Letter from Australia: The Battler of Ballarat George Weigel hails the ministry of Cardinal George Pell In the Baltimore of the 1960s, my canny pastor devised a neat scheme for getting ‘Father Visitor’ (as the confessional doors read) to fill in during the summer for his vacationing curates: bring over newly-ordained Australians from their…
Is Scotland unwilling to face its sectarianism, asks Paul Keenan Next week, the Scottish parliament will vote on the proposed offensive behaviour at football and threatening communications (Scotland) bill, following a month-long debate on the best legislative response to the issue of sectarianism in the country. Backed by the majority Scottish National Party, which…
Is it wise to genetically tamper with the crops we grow, asks Prof. William Reville It is quite likely that Roundup is the herbicide that is best known to readers of this column. Roundup is widely used worldwide in agriculture and gardening to control weeds. But weeds are far from helpless in the face…