Mystics: the beauty of prayer by Craig Larkin SM (Columba Press, €12.99) This is book was originally published two years ago in New Zealand under the title Inner Music: Living a Life in God. The title of the splendid new Irish edition gives a better idea perhaps of what the book contains – short essays on…
With news that Ireland’s favourite funeral song is Andrea Bocelli’s classic hit ‘Time To Say Goodbye’, composers and musicians are insisting that liturgical music is still relevant today. In response to the research about the song, composer of Catholic liturgical music and a contemporary Christian songwriter Ian Callanan, said that he wasn’t surprised about the…
Veterans taking part in the 2018 Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage to France said the journey has positively influenced their lives and benefited those around them. Maj. Jeremy Haynes, a first-time spiritual pilgrim and Lourdes visitor, said he is a changed man since visiting the shrine, where Mary appeared to St Bernadette Soubirous in a series…
Church social action charity Caritas has rushed to distribute thousands of face-masks and provide eye drops to people living in Indonesia’s Semarang Archdiocese following a series of volcanic eruptions. Considered one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Merapi, in central Java, has seen at least nine eruptions over the last month, sending steam and ash clouds…
In the aftermath of Iraq’s elections, Christians want to see a government formed that is free from the sectarianism that has torn apart the country, and they want Iran’s influence to diminish. Both issues have played a huge role in politics since the 2003 US-led invasion. Fr Emanuel Youkhana, a priest of the Assyrian Church…
The Rivers of Dublin, new revised edition by Clair L. Sweeney, revised by Gerard O’Connell & Michael Curtis (Dublin City Council / Irish Academic Press, €24.99) There is a lovely saying, by an unidentified street poet, that has long echoed in my mind, as a description of the modern city: “The fields lie dreaming underneath.” No…
Eighth Amendment After the referendum, the challenge for us Catholics is how do we ensure that the next generation embraces what means so much to us, writes Larry Donnelly The people have spoken, emphatically. While most of us who like to think we are in the political know saw the Eighth Amendment referendum campaign…
Recently a student I’d taught decades ago made this comment to me: “It’s been more than 20 years since I took your class and I’ve forgotten most everything you taught. What I do remember from your class is that we’re supposed to always try not to make God look stupid.” I hope that’s true. I…
Science of Life The magazine rack stands near the checkouts in my local Centra store and I often vacantly ponder the magazine covers as I stand in line waiting my turn to pay for the items in my basket. Prince William and Kate Middleton are pretty much on permanent display and as a result…
After criticising Damian Thompson’s execrable spectator.co.uk podcast about the referendum in a recent Web Watch, it seems only fair to point to a far better spectator.co.uk piece on the referendum this week. ‘What really happened in Ireland’s abortion referendum’, a ‘Coffee House’ column by Wicklow-born but London-based Melanie McDonagh is marked, as perhaps inevitable nowadays,…
Peter Costello
Colm Fitzpatrick
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
William Reville
Greg Daly