Dublin: The Irish Revolution 1912-23 by Brian Hughes (Four Courts Press, €24.95) This book is the latest in a series where historians were invited to update “a seminal period” in Irish history on a local basis. So far 15 counties have been covered availing of the new archival material. This latest one on Dublin by history…
The Missionary Sisters of St Columban are marking their 100th anniversary celebrating Mass at 3pm followed by a reception at Wicklow Parish Church, on September 29. The congregation has today 116 members in nine countries where they work with a spirit of compassion and solidarity. Talking about the celebration of the centenary, Sr Anne Ryan,…
Michael R. Heinlein I’ve noticed a pattern lately. Whenever my 7-year-old son presents himself for Holy Communion to a minister unknown to him, he is routinely denied the sacrament. I find this fascinating. He does all the right things. He bows. He makes the sign of the cross. He waits patiently to say “Amen” before…
Sabine Kleyboldt (KNA) It took Bernini nine years to create his first work of art in St Peter’s Basilica. It will have taken a good nine months to free the bronze canopy from the dust of the centuries. Then visitors will be rubbing their eyes. The excitement is growing: the huge grey cuboid in the…
Letter from Rome While offering an overall positive judgment on the Marian apparitions and devotions associated with the Medjugorje phenomenon in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Vatican nevertheless said in a new document released Thursday that some issues still need to be clarified. The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) presented the document, titled ‘The…
The unseasonably gorgeous weather we’ve been enjoying of late signifies only one thing: The season of learning has once again returned. The transition from second to third level can often be the most unnerving; A larger student population, gargantuan campuses and choice, an embarrassment of choice. The question of choice is no more apparent than…
Laptop by Desmond Egan (The Goldsmith Press, € 20.00 / £16.00) William Adamson Desmond Egan once wrote that poetry is essentially a dialogue, an insight into the universal through the particular experience, and in his latest collection, Laptop, this thought is taken to a level of intensity rarely found in poetry today. The book itself is…
When one is asked to think of an Irish saint, there is a high chance they would think of St Patrick or St Brigid, however, there is another saint who deserves as much devotion. St Kilian left Mullagh in Co. Cavan in the 7th Century to spread Christianity in mainland Europe. The saint was born…
Several years ago, I went with another priest to visit a mutual friend. Our friend, a successful businessman, was living on the top floor of a very expensive apartment overlooking the river valley in the city of Edmonton. At one point during our visit, he took us out on his balcony to show us the…
The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends by Camilla Townsend (Thames & Hudson, £14.99 / €17.99) I have long been fascinated by the great civilisations of the ancient Americas, the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru, whose fall was brought about by the savage incursions of the Spanish conquistadores. The…
Renata Steffens
Brandon Scott
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Peter Costello