Personal Profile Madison Duddy speaks with Misean Cara Chairperson Justin Kilcullen Clearly, the work of the missionary orders as represented by the Irish is actually coming to an end. You can see the numbers are declining slowly, but surely, some things evolve in a different way, and we have to be able to continually…
Medical Matters Doctors are often asked to do blood tests or checks on people as they get older to make sure all is well and give reassurance to their patients. The old adage of “prevention is better than cure” is so true and indeed early detection and treatment can also make a big difference.…
Pope calls for ‘apostolate of prevention’ against abuse In an unscripted video message that appears to have been recorded on a mobile phone, Pope Francis spoke of the need for an “apostolate of prevention” to protect minors from abuse. “Prevention. Prevention. Because you never know where a child will be abused, where the child will…
The Joy of God: Collected Writings by Sr Mary David with a foreword by Fr Erik Vardan (Bloomsbury, £12.99) This collection of essays, or rather talks, reveals a very interesting character. The author Sr Mary David had a late vocation. American born she was educated there, attending Loyola University and the University of Virginia, before crossing…
We wake up into life with the incurable sense that we’re special, that we’re the centre of the universe. And, subjectively, we are! In our awareness we’re the centre of the universe and life does revolve around us. Our own being is what’s most massively real to us. As Descartes famously said, the only thing…
More than 100 pilgrims from a Carlow parish packed their sunscreen and shorts this month as they made their way to France to celebrate camaraderie and Faith. Parishioners of Graiguecullen and Killeshin took part in the 43rd annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, and with the help of parish fundraisers, 30 people with disabilities were also able…
Children’s Corner Quicksand is created when water is trapped in sand or marshy earth, thus creating a soil that is halfway between a solid and a liquid. Although the name quicksand would indicate it is in fact created with sand, it can be any mass of clay or dirt particles that contain trapped water. But…
Notebook I have had an interesting summer so far: bookended by two strong liturgies, but with a fairly weak one in between. The American bishops’ statement on liturgy always comes to mind as I reflect on celebrations in which I participate: “Good liturgy builds up faith, bad liturgy tears it down and destroys it”. I…
No doubt the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (NYOI) is already planning its courses and programmes for its golden jubilee next year. Founded in 1970 by the intrepid Olive Smith (often mischievously but endearingly referred to as ‘Granny’ Smith by the teenage players) and the Dublin-born, London-based violinist Hugh Maguire, who was also NYOI’s conductor…
The Bible Tells Me So…Why defending Scripture has made us unable to read it by Peter Ennis (Hodder & Stoughton, €14.99) This book, by an American academic and evangelical, is one which will interest a wide audience. Through many years of both teaching and preaching, he came to face a problem. The further he studies the…
Dr Kevin McCarroll
Peter Costello
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Colm Fitzpatrick
Chai Brady