Two members of the Catholic Chaplaincy in Queen’s University Belfast have described the recent upward trend in the number of students registering to take part in Chaplaincy-related activities for the forthcoming year as being indicative of student’s natural “curiosity” to find something a little more “meaningful and lasting” in their young lives. The latest statistics…
South Sudan has challenges but faith is ‘vibrant’ – Irish papal nuncio
Beginning his first few weeks as the first resident Vatican representative to South Sudan, Archbishop Séamus Patrick Horgan, from Co. Clare, attests that the Church in South Sudan is alive, and despite the enormous challenges faced by the world’s youngest nation, it tenaciously testifies to its unwavering faith and generosity. Speaking to Vatican News about…
Young and old embrace ‘the Millennial Saint’
The relic of the ‘Millennial Saint’, Blessed Carlo Acutis concluded its four-parish tour of Ireland on Tuesday, with hundreds of people, a considerable portion of them youth, flocking to churches in the Leinster region to catch a glimpse of the eternal teenager whose profound faith in the face of a terminal illness is inspiring young…
Catholic doctors worried about ‘slippery slope’ euthanasia
Reflecting on the last decade in this country as a Catholic presents itself as somewhat of a painful task. Our country, now liberated from the oppressive and cruel past inflicted by the Church according to many given prominence in both media and politics, is now in a transitional period away from these austere times, rejoicing…
Catholic doctor: Conscientious objection being ‘shockingly affronted’
Speaking in advance of the Catholic Medical Association of Ireland’s 7th annual conference this Saturday, President of the association, Dr Keith Holmes, has described the current treatment of Catholic healthcare professionals who are forced to deal with a radically different end-of-life culture, as a “shocking affront” to the principle of conscientious objection and has caused…
Bishop Hayes encourages action to sustain creation on ‘Environment Day’
On 7 September, Bishop Martin Hayes of Kilmore, Episcopal Coordinator for Laudato Si’/Laudate Deum, and a member of the Laudato Si’ Working Group (LSWG) of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, was invited to speak in Kinsale, Co Cork, as part of the current Season of Creation celebrations. In his presentation, Bishop Hayes highlighted the main theme of Laudato Si’,…
Religious respond to ‘harrowing’ details of scoping inquiry
The “distressing, harrowing and devastating” abuse revealed in religious-run schools has put faith to “the test yet again”, the Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy said, while AMRI, the representative body of the Leadership of Missionaries and Religious in Ireland expressed its deep remorse and commended the bravery of the victims and survivors in response to…
‘If you can see it, you can be it!’ the message as Carlo Acutis relic graces parishes
The relic of Carlo Acutis continues on its journey around churches in Leinster and the respective parishes involved are excitedly gearing up to host the first-class relic and the message of ‘The Millennial Saint’ for the first time, a message that the Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown says, whose diocese has been to the fore…
Some saints can be extraordinarily ordinary
The traditional discourse associated with the concept of sainthood typically revolves around descriptions of heroism, daring defiance and grandiose gestures of faith. In time, this perception has begun to shift and allow for a more modest, grounded, even unassuming perception of saintly figures and their path to inclusion in the lofty litany. Ireland’s own Frank…
Politicians: Calls to remove religious orders from schools politically ‘opportunistic’ and ‘bigoted’
Two politicians have slammed the recent calls to remove religious orders from schools, with one saying that it is an example of “bigotry and opportunism” that seeks to promote a specific personal agenda rather than focus on the harms that have been inflicted on survivors of abuse in religious-run schools. Speaking to The Irish Catholic,…