Knock Shrine want to celebrate the “heart-warming” work being done “under the radar” by local parishioners over the course of lockdown. Nominations are invited from parishes throughout the island of Ireland, with the nomination window closing on December 4. In a statement on the award, Fr Richard Gibbons, rector of Knock Shrine, said the “enormous…
Senator Mullen has voiced opposition to legislation that has come before the Seanad, viewing it as being full of errors and “dangerous to the legitimate freedom of human expression”. The Criminal Justice (Hate Crime) Bill 2020, was initiated on November 6, and seeks to provide that a court may impose the maximum penalty for offences…
GAA legend and devout Catholic Mickey Harte has stepped down as Tyrone senior football manager after 18 years. Although he was “disappointed” not to lead Tyrone for another season after his request was not granted by the Tyrone management committee, he said he had “immense gratitude for having had the privilege of managing Tyrone at…
Dwindling vocations and an aging sisterhood has lead to the closure of St Joseph’s Carmelite convent in Loughrea, Co. Galway, founded 1680. Of the five remaining sisters there, three will join the Carmelite convent in New Ross, Wexford, one will go to Dublin and one will return to her country of origin, the Philippines. Speaking…
Only one-third of Irish dioceses have an exorcist despite the Vatican requiring each diocese to have at least one specially trained priest, researchers have discovered. Out of Ireland’s 26 dioceses there are nine exorcists according to a group of European academics, fewer per diocese than other countries in their study. However, the limited new research,…
The Catholic chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has partnered with L’Arche Belfast to provide them with shelter and space for their activities over the winter months. L’Arche Belfast is part of a worldwide organisation which seeks to provide support for those with intellectual disabilities. With the arrival of Covid-19 in Ireland in March and…
When it was reported in a London newspaper that Catholic priests can feel hurt and dismayed when the Faithful compare and judge their sermons – via internet live-stream Masses – the BBC commentator Nick Robinson remarked smartly: “Join the club!” Those guys and gals in the media are used to both brickbats and bouquets for…
NET Ministries Ireland has finished six weeks of training and has sent their five teams off to their local areas despite a “battle” due to Covid-19, NET Ministries Ireland Director Tony Foy has told The Irish Catholic. Following a day of celebration of their commissioning, Mr Foy said, “The day was great. It was very,…
Government restrictions on religion are at their highest since tracking began in 2007, the Pew Research Center has said in its new report, finding that 56 countries reached “high” or “very high” levels of restrictions on religion in 2018. “In 2018, the global median level of government restrictions on religion – that is, laws, policies…
The View What is religion for? We know that NPHET, or at least, Dr Ronan Glynn, then the acting Chief Medical Officer, did not think religion sufficiently important as a source of social contact to allow people to continue with public worship. In response to a question by David Quinn, he said that the aim…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady
Mary Kenny
Breda O'Brien