Julie Kavanagh A real highlight of the week gone by was Kildare and Leighlin’s celebration of family at the KandLe Family Fun Day, held on Saturday afternoon, June 16. The event was announced last year as part of the diocese’s preparation for the World Meeting of Families (WMOF), and was a follow-up to the very…
Ed Condon The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops met last week in Florida for its annual spring session at which the bishops had serious discussion about a number of issues, among them immigration. On Wednesday, their discussion took an unexpected turn. Speaking on the topic of the Trump administration’s immigration and asylum policies and…
The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland (EAPN) is calling for the Irish Government to show its full and immediate support for the inclusion of socio-economic status as an additional ground for discrimination under current Irish equality legislation. The ground will ensure that those who have experienced discrimination and exclusion based on their housing status, address, income…
A Parent’s Perspective There has been much soul searching in Ireland in the last few weeks. What could have gone so wrong that produced such a devastating result in the referendum on the Eighth Amendment, the one that protected the equal right to life of the unborn? How could Catholics attend Mass, hear the…
The Saudi-led coalition’s assault on Hodeida, Yemen’s main port city, will have a “catastrophic impact” on the ability of relief groups to get food, medicine and other aid to vulnerable Yemeni families in urgent need of assistance, a Catholic aid agency warned. CAFOD, the overseas aid agency of the bishops of England and Wales, made…
Matthew Carlson meets those celebrating chastity On a typical Thursday night, you might expect young people to be visiting the pubs or enjoying a pleasant Dublin night. If you however find yourself at 23 Merrion Square on a Thursday night, you will find something very different: a group of young people attending Mass, participating…
Our culture doesn’t give us easy permission to mourn. Its underlying ethos is that we move on quickly from loss and hurt, keep our griefs quiet, remain strong always and get on with life. But mourning is something that’s vital to our health, something we owe to ourselves. Without mourning our only choice is to…
Bouncy castles, treasure hunts and barbecues gave Killala a huge boost as they prepare for the biggest event taking place in Ireland this year. Bishop John Fleming hosted a diocesan Garden Fun Day in the grounds of his house in preparation for the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) next August on June 10. Families from…
Brendan O’Regan: Irish Innovator, Visionary and Peacemaker by Brian O’Connell with Cian O’Carroll (Irish Academic Press, €34.99) Joe Carroll In the awful depression of the 1950s and early 1960s, Brendan O’Regan was a household name for his pioneering, job-creating work at Shannon Airport. What was happening at Shannon with its industrial zone, new town, duty-free shop,…
Dear Editor, Martin O’Brien’s investigation into the Pope’s decision not to visit Northern Ireland this year (‘No Pope here?’ IC 14/6/2018) invites serious questions about links between our local Church and the Vatican. The Pope’s decision not to visit the North has, understandably, caused dismay and continues to cause confusion across both Northern communities, and…
Maria Byrne
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Chai Brady