Paula of Rome was truly a woman of the world. Born to a prominent, wealthy Roman family in 347 AD, she married a senator, Toxotius, with whom she had five children. A person in such a position would have wanted for nothing, and indeed, Paula didn’t. Until the age of 32, Paula lived a life…
The famous quote goes something along the lines of, “The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world that he did not exist”. If the topic of this week’s ‘Questions of Faith?’ column caused you to cringe or laugh, you’re doubtless not alone in that. Whatever about the existence of God, the existence…
A Co. Cavan-based priest from Nigeria has described how the brutal murder of his friend and fellow missionary in his homeland has left him devastated. The body of Fr Isaac Achi was found among the charred ruins of the parish building of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church on January 15, according to the Diocese…
A leading priest-psychologist has called on priests not to neglect the spiritual side of wellbeing. Fr Pat Collins CM told The Irish Catholic newspaper that most of the people who get in contact with him refer to depression or anxiety as the “number one problem in their life”. “It’s particularly noticeable since Covid kicked in…
Parishioners in Newry have received a “blow” following the destruction of six stained-glass windows at the Church of the Sacred Heart just outside Newry in Co. Armagh. The Church of the Sacred Heart on Dublin Road in Cloughoge was vandalised overnight between Thursday and Friday, with six windows on the church building smashed and a…
In 360AD Athanasius of Alexandria – one of the great Doctors of the Church – published a biography simply titled Life of Anthony. In it, he told the story of an illiterate and holy man who out of devotion to God went out into the desert to put into practice Christ’s words to the rich…
Hospital staff under “huge pressure” are in “crisis management”, the Director of Pastoral Care at Tallaght University Hospital Fr John Kelly has said. This comes as the HSE revealed that attendances at emergency departments across the country have been higher this year than ever before. “Staff are very much under pressure, I mean, it’s the…
Dance magnate Michael Flatley says his faith in God is deeply important to him, and that he can’t help but be grateful to God for the life he’s lived. Speaking on the Brendan O’Connor Show on Saturday, Mr Flatley said that he’s a “big believer in God” and that he’s got “great faith”. Speaking to…
It’s commonly argued in today’s world that science and faith are in conflict. Some ardently go so far as to suggest that science and the discoveries about the natural world that it’s made possible to invalidate faith, making religion a superstitious thing of the past. The idea at the core of this argument is that…
A young man with Down Syndrome has delivered a letter to Professor Fergal Malone of the Rotunda hospital, encouraging them to “save babies with Down Syndrome”. Conor O’Dowd, 28, from Drogheda delivered the letter by hand with his father, former mayor of Drogheda and Aontú representative Michael O’Dowd, in response to Professor Malone’s comments that…