The tranquil setting of Lough Derg, Co. Donegal saw the return of Youth 2000’s recent Ulster regional retreat, with Ulster regional retreat leader Lisa Russell saying everyone was “taken aback by the beauty of the island”. “It was our first Ulster [regional] retreat back in three years and we were blessed to be back on…
Migration across the Mediterranean Sea is as old as humanity, and while some governments say they want to stop that movement of people, it will not and should not happen, Pope Francis said. “Migration is essential to the well-being of this area and cannot be stopped. Therefore, it is in the interest of all parties…
Editor’s Comment Advent is so often a missed season. In the rush to Christmas, we can forget the centrality of anticipation as well as patient and attentive waiting. In the marketplace, Christmas lights are erected from early November and there is talk of Christmas everywhere. It means that Advent gets lost, but it is an…
The Sunday Gospel “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” This is the entrance antiphon for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, a day to rejoice. I am intrigued by the prominence of the letter ‘w’ in Advent…winter, wonder, wilderness, waiting and the womb of…
North Circular Road has so many connotations for people, maybe we shouldn’t just see it as a road anymore but a connection point between different lifestyles and cultures. As one of the speakers in North Circular (15A, Irish film Institute) says, it may end at Sheriff Street geographically but in spirit it stretches to “the…
While the European Union is not perfect, we must recognise its achievements, the new Irish EU nuncio tells Chai Brady There are matters of “serious concern” for the Church regarding certain manoeuvrings within the European Union, but there are Catholic organisations and people working to make sure they are challenged, according to the new Apostolic…
Two items last week captured a telling moment, a sign of the times as we head towards Christmas. Both items were on Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio One, Tuesday). A report from the Mid-West Simon Community food bank service in Limerick, showed a strong demand. One woman had asked for porridge, with tears in her eyes…
Dear Editor, The whitewashing of even the word Christmas from events organised by some Government bodies – despite clearly being Christmas festivals/markets – is deeply concerning. Well done for highlighting it on your front page [The Irish Catholic – December 1, 2022]. It is sad to see the values on which Ireland as we know…
Prefect of Vatican economy office steps down Three years after Pope Francis appointed him to speed up financial reforms, transparency and budget controls at the Vatican, Jesuit Fr Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves has resigned for health reasons. The Vatican announced November 30 that Fr Guerrero was stepping down as prefect of the Secretariat for the…
World of Books This time of the year is the major occasion for people to buy books of all kinds, but especially for younger readers. There is fierce competition among the publishers, so it is easy to overlook interesting, even important books in the piled high melee. In these pages today we make some suggests for…
Michael Kelly
Aubrey Malone
Chai Brady
Brendan O’Regan
Peter Costello