The Dry January phenomenon that has emerged in recent years which sees people abstain from alcohol throughout the month of January would be better supplemented with more lasting initiatives, like attendance at local AA meetings, as fellowship with others in recovery shouldn’t just be limited to one month of the year. Speaking to The Irish…
Wellbeing in Catholic schools is forming in ‘image and likeness of God’
Speaking in the aftermath of the ‘Wellbeing and the Catholic School’ document published by the Council for Education in partnership with the Council for Catechetics, the National Director for Catechetics said that the document offers an opportunity for Catholic schools to “recognise what’s distinctive about Catholic education” by seeing wellbeing in Catholic schools as forming…
Nuns told Vatican they feel like Ireland’s ‘scapegoats’
Brandon Scott and Garry O’Sullivan Report backs up ACP protest at unfair media portrayals The submission of Irish female religious to the Synod in Rome which concluded in October backs up the recent protest by the Association of Catholic Priests for an end to unfair portrayals of nuns in the Irish media. Speaking to…
Argentine businessman moves closer to beatification
The cause for canonisation of Argentine businessman Enrique Shaw took another step forward this week as the alleged miracle attributed to his intercession passed the medical stage and will now be evaluated by a commission of theologians of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The vice postulator of the cause and the military bishop…
‘Annoyed’ TD intends to meet Franciscan Provincial as Clonmel friary row escalates
An ongoing row over the closure of the Franciscan Friary in Clonmel shows little sign of a resolution as TD for Tipperary South Mattie McGrath says he’s going to Dublin to confront the Provincial of the Franciscan Order whom he claims has ignored his correspondence. Recent developments have seen aggrieved members of a prayer group…
President Biden awards Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom
US President Joe Biden spoke with Pope Francis last Saturday and named him a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the White House said in a statement. As the nation’s highest honour, the medal is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States,…
Black Nazarene procession attracts millions in the Philippines
The Black Nazarene procession in Manila, Philippines, which annually attracts one of the world’s largest crowds for a religious devotion, attracted hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic pilgrims on January 9. Taking place each year in January, the procession, known locally as “Traslacion”, sees devotees carry across Manila a replica of a famous life-size statue of Jesus carrying a…
‘Families who have lost everything’: LA Archdiocese responds to deadly wildfires
Archdiocesan officials and local Church leaders in Los Angeles are working to shelter and assist victims of the ongoing wildfires there as the blaze consumes entire neighbourhoods and lays waste to significant portions of the suburban area. The fires began on Tuesday, January 7, and quickly spread via dry conditions and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds…
Last chorus for singing priests, but music will ‘always be there’
The decision to end The Priests, one of Ireland’s most successful musical acts of the last decade is a “bittersweet” one that wasn’t taken lightly according to a member of the trio, who finds solace that even in the group’s retirement, their “music and CDs are still there and will always be available” to encourage…
Dublin parish ‘takes the plunge’ and moves to solar
A Dublin parish that has recently “taken the plunge” and made the move to solar has hailed the move to more sustainable practices not only for the practical energy and cost reduction benefits, but also because they’re directly responding to the call of the Pope and seeing it as their Christian duty. Speaking to The…