Bishop Martin Hayes says he is looking forward to the Lay Pastoral Worker Training Programme in St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth in 2025. “It will consist of a discernment period of six months, followed by a two-year part-time course,” he said. “We have now selected 19 people from throughout the diocese.” These lay people will…
Following much discussion in the Irish media about avoiding conflict during the Christmas period the CEO of Accord has said that rows between couples is a sign a relationship is “alive”. The head of the Catholic counselling and marriage charity Tony Shanahan told The Irish Catholic that “it is a good thing if relationships have…
Bishop Paul Dempsey I’ve experienced and I’ve seen a lot of great signs of hope as well, indeed, we have the building hope initiative in the diocese and there’s very much a sense of working together in partnerships as parishes and that’s synodality in action. Pope Francis obviously talks about synodality and I think…
2024 saw Catholic Youth Ministry continue flourishing on the island. From Net Ministries, Youth2000, Alpha, Pure in Heart, Focus Missionaries, Living Water and chaplaincies among others. Ireland also is the home of Holy Family Mission, a Catholic residential community for young people aged 18-30 founded with the purpose to form young adults for lifelong mission, which…
My neighbour’s Christmas display has been giving me a much needed smile, but perhaps not as he intended. His holiday garden features giant blow-ups of two cartoon characters, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and a snowman, I have dubbed Olaf, in honour of the Disney snowman. Every morning, in the run-up to Christmas, I have…
Trócaire’s CEO for the past six years told The Irish Catholic the job taught her courage and how individual actions are important. Courage is one of Trócaire’s five values, Caoimhe de Barra said. “Courage is the one that really stays in my mind, because as the leader of the organisation… you’re responsible for the decisions…
An Irish Food Story by JP McMahon (Nine Bean Rows Press, €25.00 / £20.75) Irish Food History: A Companion, by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Dorothy Cashman and others (Royal Irish Academy, €45.00 / £38.00) This holiday season of feasting and drinking, quite in the ancient fashion of the Fianna some might say, seems to be…
In a time when questions surrounding faith, tradition, and ecclesial renewal – a time when debates around women ordination and married priests – echo across the Catholic world, few journeys capture these themes as powerfully as the story of Fr Joshua J. Whitfield, author of The Crisis of Bad Preaching: Redeeming the Heart and Way…
“Influencers” seem to play an important role in our world, although many of us know little about some of these influential individuals, who, via social media, have such sway over the lives of others. But there are also “influencers” who have a quieter, yet profound and consistent, following, more through a network of personal admirers…
According to Beaumont Hospital, Ireland has one of the highest rates of donations in the world: 20.3 donors pmp (per million population). The Irish Catholic invites you to learn the story of a Cavan man who had both of his lungs and one kidney transplanted. David Crosby is the oldest of five children. When he…
Renata Steffens
Chai Brady
Martina Purdy
Peter Costello
Mary Kenny