Children’s Corner Not many people have had the opportunity to majestically descend through the air at jaw-dropping heights with a parachute. It certainly isn’t for someone with a fear of heights! It can be defined as a device that slows the vertical descent of something falling through the atmosphere. Reports of parachutes date back to…
As a seminarian, I was privileged one summer to take a course from the renowned liturgist, Godfrey Diekmann. This was back in those heady days shortly after Vatican II when it was very much in fashion to frown on prescribed ritual prayers and write your own. This was particularly true for the Eucharist Prayer, the…
Room to improve for Vatican handling of financial crime Moneyval, the European financial watchdog committee, said that while the Vatican has made progress in combatting financial crimes, its investigations into potential crimes committed by senior officials needs more fine-tuning. The group, also known as the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of…
The Leap of Faith (RTE Radio 1) is nearing the end of its run and last Friday’s edition dealt with water, which has long been a central symbol in religious ritual. This episode marked National Holy Wells Day (June 13) with Fr Brian Grogan SJ and Sr Helen Grealy, who is involved in the Loving…
Dear Editor, Some national politicians have questioned why a Catholic ethos should be present in our schools. Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that the overwhelming majority of children are from a Catholic background and that their parents have a sneaking feeling that the Catholic ethos is the most compassionate, coherent and comprehensive available. These…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. About ten years ago we celebrated the Year of Faith and the logo chosen as a symbol of the times was the boat tossed about in a storm, today’s Gospel, Mark 4:35-41. In this series of Sunday Reflections, we have already referred to the problems of the…
Notebook We are in a decade of centenaries marking one hundred years since our war of independence, the civil war and the establishment of the Irish State. These milestones and how we commemorate them provide opportunities for celebration but of course there are also many sensitivities to be aware of. The role religion and faith…
Remote work here to stay as Facebook reopens offices Facebook has said it will give its employees the option of sticking with remote work for the long-term, going as far as to aid employees interested in moving to other countries. The social media giant told AFP that beginning June 15, it will let any employee…
Euthanasia deaths soared last year in Canada The number of Canadians who ended their lives by euthanasia and assisted suicide increased by 17% in 2020, the country’s health department announced on June 7. According to Abby Hoffman, assistant deputy minister of Health Canada, 7,595 people received “medically assisted deaths” last year, a figure which amounts…
It will be a strange experience for many people going back to cinemas after being so long out of them. I don’t think I ever spent 16 days outside a cinema as an adult, let alone 16 months. Little did any of us know in February 2020 that this would be our lot. Having said…
Chai Brady
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Brendan O’Regan
Aubrey Malone