A leading Irish-American cardinal has urged Catholics in Ireland to look to the strength of their ancestors in difficult times for the Faith, to renew and rebuild the Church here amidst current challenges. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, was speaking after celebrating Mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh to mark the 150th…
News that the next World Youth Day will take place in Seoul, South Korea, has raised hopes that the event might boost the profile of Irish missionaries martyred by communist forces during the Korean war. Six Irish Columban fathers and two missionaries of Irish descent died as “witnesses of modern and contemporary faith” during the…
The retired Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has warned that synodal consultations could lead to “frustrated expectations” when people realise that the process will not lead to a radical change in Church teaching on hot-button issues such as the ordination of women. He also said that he believes that Pope St John Paul II was…
The brutal persecution of the Church in Nicaragua will not stop missionaries striving to minister to the Faithful even if civil war and martyrdom are on the cards, an Irish Jesuit has insisted. Fr Kevin O’Higgins SJ, who spent decades in Latin America under a military dictatorship, said missionaries accept an “element of risk” in…
The “Fighting Irish” took over Dublin city centre at the weekend as tens of thousands of Americans travelled to Ireland for the Notre Dame University American football game against the Navy. It was the third time the Catholic university and the Navy have gone up against each other and once again, Notre Dame came away…
Following a vigil that attracted more than 1,000 people on Sunday August 27 in Clonmel, the funerals of the four young victims of the Clonmel crash take place today, Friday and Saturday. Bishop Phonsie Cullinan urged prayer at the vigil and that people would “find a strength” in supporting one another. Also speaking at the…
British actor Tommy Jessop has set his sights on Hollywood with the goal of changing the world for the better for people with Down Syndrome. Mr Jessop (38) made headlines when he became the first actor with Down Syndrome to star in a primetime show, appearing in the hit show Coming Down the Mountain. Having…
The universal Church’s “solidarity” with South Sudan amid so many trials is “highly respected” and appreciated, an Irish missionary in the stricken African nation has said. This comes after the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, visited the country for the third time in a year in an effort to promote peace-building initiatives. Speaking…
Almost 1,000 women didn’t return to have an abortion after their first consultation in the first six months of 2023, HSE figures suggest. The 3-day wait period is being credited by pro-life organisations for facilitating women to change their mind about having an abortion. In the first six months of 2023, first consultation claims tallied…
A new report on the restorative justice programme undertaken by the Jesuit order in Ireland to respond to abuse perpetrated by Fr Joseph Marmion SJ against pupils suggests his victims and survivors were “largely satisfied” with the response. While the process “did not answer every need [of abuse survivors and victims], there was a sense…
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones