A bill introduced last week which aims to change the Constitution and remove the oath to God judges must take has been criticised by TDs. It was introduced by Fine Gael’s Barry Ward TD of Dún Laoghaire and to fully pass would require a referendum. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Carol Nolan TD of Laois-Offaly…
Outreach push planned for PSNI Catholic recruits
The Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland are planning a new outreach push in schools before the end of the academic year to tackle the low numbers of Catholics joining the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The Catholic Guild has received funds under the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Reconciliation Fund for an outreach programme…
Knock Shrine to Launch €1.5m ‘Youth Village’ this summer
Knock Shrine will officially launch its new €1.5m ‘Youth Village’ on June 14, providing a dedicated space for young people to gather, reflect, and take part in retreat programmes, the rector has said The village consists of ten accommodation pods, each designed for two people. According to Fr Richard Gibbons, Rector of Knock Shrine, the…
National launch of ‘Ministry of Catechist’ expected this year
The national launch of the ‘Ministry of Catechist’ is expected this September with a six-month preparation phase before candidates enter formal formation in 2026, The Irish Catholic has learned. Dr Alexander O’Hara, who was the National Director for Catechetics until a few weeks ago told The Irish Catholic the role is a formal lay ministry…
Charity supporting Lesotho criticises Trump’s ‘bullying’
An Irish charity which supports two religious orders that help Lesotho’s poor has said Trump’s derogatory remarks at Congress last week were ‘inappropriate’. Mr Trump described Lesotho as a country “nobody has ever heard of” as he defended aid cuts, noting in particular a past US aid project of “eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+…
Politicians decry calls to discard the Dáil prayer
A proposal by the Social Democrats and Labour to remove the prayer reading before Dáil sessions has been described as a “self-indulgent… contempt for Christian practices”. The prayer is read out in both Irish and English by the Ceann Comhairle before Dáil sessions. It is followed by a 30-second moment of reflection. Carol Nolan TD…
Marriage celebrated in acclaimed Dublin parish
For the third year in a row, famed Newman University Church in Dublin celebrated couples that have been married there on February 16. They hosted a Mass for the couples followed by a reception with champagne and chocolates. Throughout the month of February they displayed photographs of couples on their wedding day that were submitted by…
Secular Ireland will ‘pay a price’ for forgetting God
Priest calls on Christians to unite A well-known Irish priest has warned of “stormy seas” ahead and that Christians must face the “common enemy” of secularism and godlessness together. Vincentian priest Fr Pat Collins CM, who is an expert in deliverance ministry and is due to speak at the Divine Mercy National Conference in the…
Housing should not delay tying the knot, say married couples
Married couples have responded to new statistics from Accord showing almost half of couples delay marriage due to the housing crisis, giving a plethora of advice including “you can live in a tent and still be married”. Hundreds of people who were married in Newman University Church in Dublin gathered in the church over the…
Louth shrine of St Oliver Plunkett marked as a jubilee pilgrim site
“Devoted” St Oliver Plunkett played a vital role in Drogheda, dedicating himself to education and “the sanctification of his clergy and faithful”, the Primate of All Ireland has said, designating St Peter’s church a place of pilgrimage for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh launched #Oliver400 last week marking the…