Month: June 2021

Reek Sunday pilgrimage extended this summer

The annual Reek Sunday pilgrimage will be going ahead this summer in an extended format. The event, which was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, will be taking place from Wednesday to Saturday, July 1-31. Announcing the news, Fr Charlie McDonnell of Westport said they are “delighted” to offer an extended Reek Sunday pilgrimage…

Vindication for Catholic college after ‘fake news’ slur about body shaming

Attacks on a Carlow Catholic school by politicians, journalists and commentators were “entirely unfair” based on “fake news” and caused teachers “enormous stress” The Irish Catholic has been told. The Press Ombudsman found this week that a report about alleged ‘body shaming’ in Presentation College Carlow by a local newspaper had been entirely false. Local…

Child protection watchdog work in jeopardy due to funding cuts

The head of the independent watchdog ensuring compliance with child safeguarding procedures has warned that sharp pandemic-related funding cuts make its work “unsustainable”. Teresa Devlin, CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church told The Irish Catholic this week that cuts of 40% in Church funding were stretching the body to…

Hundreds of Irish expected back in Medjugorje hot on the heels of apparition’s 40th anniversary

Marian Pilgrimages is expecting “hundreds” of Irish pilgrims to return to Medjugorje before the end of the year, as they prepare to resume their charter into Mostar August 25. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Managing Director of Marian Pilgrimages Niall Glynn said that while they only have “very, very small” groups heading to Medjugorje for…

EU religious freedom envoy ‘a sop’ without proper support, says ACN Ireland director

The position of EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion risks becoming “all talk and no substance” without the requisite funding and staffing, a spokesperson for a charity for persecuted Christians said. The statement came after a Brussels based EU bishops’ conference criticised the envoy’s “limited mandate and resources”, but welcomed the appointment of a…