Gurranabraher parish, Co. Cork, received the funds from the Heritage Council of Ireland, having discovered that the Church gates were created in 1905 by a renowned local craftsman. Fr Tom Walsh PP at the Church of Ascension Parish said they were surprised to discover the “treasure in their midst”, when a parishioner told them the…
Month: June 2021
New bishop of Ferns ‘daunted’ but eager to get started
Fr Ger Nash tells Ruadhán Jones about the hopes and challenges of his new position Becoming a bishop is a daunting prospect, whatever your age or experience. Fr Ger Nash, who celebrates 30 years as a priest this year, knows this well, having been diocesan secretary of Killaloe for the last 13 years. Asked if…
Supreme Court ruling seen as victory for religious liberty
As a consequence of the US Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling June 17 in Fulton v. Philadelphia, faith-based and other agencies across the country may not be forced by a government agency to violate their deeply held beliefs against placing children in households led by same-sex or cohabitating adults. In a decision seen as a victory…
Bishops call on Govt to recognise state of Palestine
The bishops have called on the Government to recognise the state of Palestine at their summer conference. The bishops discussed the humanitarian crisis that exists “due to violence between Israel and Palestine,” according to a statement released following the bishops’ meeting. Their meeting called for an “end to violence on all sides and for a…
Twitter removes TG4 Catholic skit for violating guidelines
A Twitter account associated with TG4 was found to have violated Twitter guidelines with a video of social media personality James Kavanagh doing a skit of Catholic ceremonies. BLOC TG4 posted a video which saw Mr Kavanagh performing an ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) rendition of the Our Father, as he sat with a crucifix…
Time for the Church here to address ‘eucharistic coherence’
Irish bishops ignoring the issue of Holy Communion for pro-abortion politicians would be a failure of leadership, writes David Quinn In 1998, the Catholic bishops of Ireland, England and Wales issued a now mostly forgotten document called One Bread One Body. Its main subject matter was inter-communion, that is, whether or not non-Catholic Christians could…
The greatest question of all: what does it all mean?
In Reasonable Hope: Philosophical Reflections on Ultimate Meaning by Patrick Masterson (Catholic University of America Press, $34.95pb/ £22.99; if required a case bound edition is available at £99.00) In this study Patrick Masterson poses the question: ‘What does it all ultimately mean?’ In effect he is asking what is the purpose of our lives? The response…
Celebrating the Sacred Heart
The Catholic Church has upheld the Sacred Heart of Jesus for a long time, and it’s as relevant now as ever, writes Jason Osborne The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was, and remains, one of the most widespread and popular devotions in the Church. In this hectic, scattered…
Mary McAleese is wrong on the reception of children into the Church
Only if spiritual communion with God were a bad thing would infant Baptism be a bad thing, writes Dr Gaven Kerr Former president Mary McAleese has again taken aim at the issue of infant Baptism. In a recent address, she indicated that she believed that the practice of infant Baptism within the Church is problematic…
Catholic bishops to consecrate Middle East to the Holy Family
Catholic bishops will consecrate the Middle East to the Holy Family on June 27. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem announced details of the act of consecration, which will take place in the Year of St Joseph, in a June 11 letter to his brother bishops. Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa indicated that it would take place during…