One of the great tragedies in all literature is the biblical story of Saul. Saul makes Hamlet look like a Disney character. Hamlet, at least, had good reasons for the disaster that befell him. Saul, given the gifts with which he started, should have fared better, much better. His story begins with the announcement that…
Whether you’re 8 years old or in your 80s, at some point in your life you’ve probably struggled with the question, “Why do we have to go to Mass?” You just may not feel like going at times. You may not like the music or the homilies in your parish. You may think Mass is…
Letter from Rome Since unveiling a new set of norms for evaluating the validity of alleged Marian apparitions and other spiritual phenomena two months ago, the Vatican has put out rulings on several cases, recently approving devotion to two popular Marian appearances in Italy. In mid-May, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith…
Matt Letourneau At first glance, Ireland may seem dominated by one religion: Christianity. Although the majority would describe themselves as Christian, Ireland is still filled with people from all walks of life, cultures, backgrounds and faiths. If you dig past Dublin’s Catholic and Protestant roots, you can unearth various beliefs, sects and churches. For instance,…
Catholics in US politics has always been an interesting subject. Famously, John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic President of the United States and had to overcome significant prejudice from a country who had – and in some ways continues to have – a suspicion of the Catholic Church and the fears of it being…
The Sunday Gospel 2 Kgs 4:42-44 Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18 Eph 4:1-6 Jn 6:1-15 The celebration of a National Eucharistic Congress this year invites reflection on the gift and mystery of the Eucharist. We are reminded that each time we participate in the Mass we are connected to an unbroken tradition that traces back to…
The silly season is upon us with its customary crop of seasonal treats. Noah’s Ark (G), is an animated film in which a pair of mice called Vini (a poet who suffers from stage fright) and Tito (a guitarist) become stowaways on the eponymous ark, using the beauty of words and song to ensure they…
Notebook It was All-Ireland Sunday 2001 – Meath vs Galway. There are two men I am remembering today, one was in the thrust of the action, the other watching from his hospital bed. One of them died within days of the final, the other in recent weeks. Tim Fitzmaurice, a Roscommon Man was in hospital,…
Last week started with US President Joe Biden calling for a cooling of the temperature of public discourse. The week ended with him bowing out of the presidential race. On Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) Luke Ming Flanagan MEP hadn’t got the Biden memo on cooling and called Ursula Von Der Leyen a “monster”.…
Q: Is a parish required to provide a screen and kneeler in the confessional? Our pastor moved our confessional from a room with screen and kneeler to a family room that does not have a screen or kneeler. So, our parishioners no longer have the option to use a screen and kneeler. Our second graders…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Aubrey Malone
Brendan O’Regan