As parishes adapt to new ways to celebrate rites of initiation, technology is easing the transition, writes Jason Osborne In the current climate, preparation for the sacraments has been grievously complicated. The Catechetics Council of the Irish Bishops Conference, convened by Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick Diocese, identified a gap in the preparation of school…
Personal Profile Fr David Vard represents a face of the Church that is not often seen in the western world today: that of a young man’s. Rarer still is the face of a young priest. While youth Catholicism has its vibrant strongholds around the country, it is yet to bear much fruit on the vocations…
The example of the Mother of God should offer hope in the midst of the pandemic to people worried about the future, Archbishop Michael Neary has said. Speaking at Knock Shrine on the Solemnity of the Assumption at the weekend, Fr Neary reflected on “the uncertainty which is brought about by Covid-19, the fear about…
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin [pictured] has warned that there must be no place within the Church for “narrowness and bitterness”. He said that Catholics down the ages “have seen believers build barriers of narrowness and bitterness, when they think they are simply being zealous in defending the message of Jesus”. Speaking at Mass in…
Outspoken priest and campaigner for the vulnerable Fr Peter McVerry SJ has urged the Government to declare the plight of the homeless as a national emergency insisting that Covid-19 “has aggravated the underlying issues.” This comes after a report revealed that 31 homeless people have died in Dublin this year, in contrast to 35 in…
The Health Service Executive (HSE), in partnership with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), has launched a new sexual health campaign titled ‘Play it Safe’. According to the HSE’s website the aim of the campaign is to provide young adults with access to helpful information to support them in safeguarding their sexual health and wellbeing during the…
Personal Profile “Sic parvis magna” is a Latin phrase attributed to Sir Francis Drake, the English sea captain of the 16th century. It’s often translated as, “from humble origins to great challenges”. This quote applies neatly to those pursuits and endeavours which seek to further the message of the gospel in today’s world. No one…
Laois-based priest Fr Paddy Byrne has highlighted what he has described as the inadequacy of the State’s accommodation for asylum seekers, claiming that the coronavirus pandemic has shown the “cracks in society where the vulnerable are”. Referring to the controversial Direct Provision system, Fr Byrne said that: “One thing I’ve discovered…is that Covid-19 erupts where…