At the end of November, the Mater Private Hospital announced they were axing 95 jobs citing the fact that 170,000 insurance policy holders have cancelled their cover since 2011 and the “further erosion of resources” in the sector due to the cap on tax relief on premiums over €1,000. The reduction in patient services in…
Month: December 2013
The Godless Assembly
Mary KennyIt was enterprising for the stand-up comedian, Abie Philbin Bowman to provide unbelieving Irish people with an alternative to Sunday church-going. Abie launched his ‘Godless’ Assembly meetings in November, at the Little Museum of Dublin, and about 100 people – atheists, humanists and science enthusiasts – turned up. The idea is that those who are…
Galway ‘Celtic Tiger’ hotel becomes parish church
Paul KeenanA vibrant and growing parish in the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora has secured a permanent parish church on the site of a former hotel. Following eight years of utilising a local sports hall for weekly Masses, the Good Shepherd parish in the east of Galway City hosted Bishop Martin Drennan last Sunday for…
Don’t try to rewrite abuse history – Marie Collins
Abuse survivor Marie Collins has welcomed Pope Francis’ call for bishops to continue helping victims of clerical abuse. She also expressed disappointment with recent criticism of the Murphy Report from the Association of Catholic Priests and warned that some priests who feel hurt may be tempted to try and rewrite history when it comes to…
Belfast parishes co-operate for a ‘Crafty Christmas’
A Catholic and a Church of Ireland parish in Belfast will mark a ‘Crafty Christmas’ this year thanks to an ecumenical project which challenged them to complete full-size knitted Christmas trees for each other in time for the festive season. The initiative, tapping into the arts and crafts skills of ordinary parishioners from St Oliver…
Sacred Music Radio station launched
A new interfaith radio station dedicated to sacred music from the world’s faith traditions has begun broadcasting on the internet. Sacred Music Radio boasts a playlist of over 4,300 sacred tracks drawn from Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Jewish and Islamic traditions in addition to sacred Christian music. According to the station’s founders, “the ethos of the…
It’s good to be green!
Cathal BarryGreen tea has been used as a natural medicine for centuries
Interpreting the heritage of faith
Cathal Barry reflects what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about the interpretation of God’s Word