Bishop Michael Smith of Meath concelebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving to mark the completion of the bell tower and spire of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, last Sunday, with a number of former parish priests, natives, friends and neighbours of the parish. Fr Padraig MacMahon, administrator of Mullingar Cathedral,…
Mags Gargan looks at a programme that promotes diversity in schools ‘The biggest success of all was the attitude change in the students. This programme opened their eyes to a world of cultures and languages,” says Melissa Boyer, of the experience of St Joseph’s Girls National School in Dublin’s Finglas on participating in…
Small schools across the country under threat of teacher cuts have geared up their protest campaign this week as leading educationalists say children’s futures are being sacrificed for the austerity budget. Staffing requirements, based on enrolment figures in primary schools introduced in the last budget, will lead to increased class sizes, loss of teachers…
Two Irish Sisters of Saint Joseph received Order of Australia awards during the Australia Day celebrations last week. Sr Maria Casey from Kildysart, Co. Clare was honoured for her service to the community as Postulator for the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop, as well as to the Catholic Church in Australia. Sr Mary Leahy from…
Young people from across the country are coming together in Tullamore this month to express their views, share ideas and celebrate their faith among their own peer group. Tullamore Junior Parish Pastoral Council is holding its annual National Parish Youth Conference on Saturday, February 25 in St Mary’s Youth and Community Centre in Tullamore,…
The secret of making a good St Brigid’s cross, The Irish Catholic learned last Sunday, is to hold it at the bottom as you weave. This discovery was made at a weaving workshop on the first day of the annual Feile Brid in Kildare town, where the Brigidine sisters extended the hospitality of St…
Emmet Dooley tells Mags Gargan about his decision to abstain from sex before marriage Chastity is a word that has been reintroduced to a whole new generation thanks to the Twilight series of books and films, where a central part of the plot revolves around the fact that the main characters Bella and…
An Irish nun has been named as one of the top ten people of the year by Inside the Vatican, a monthly Catholic news magazine. Sr Patricia Murray IBVM was honoured for her work through the Solidarity With South Sudan (SSS) project. Established by religious from 170 Catholic congregations and led by Sr Murray,…
Standing in a room filled almost floor to ceiling with chocolate certainly puts a strain on a girl’s new year’s resolution. However, self control is needed because these goodies are destined to be distributed through meals on wheels, food kitchens and food banks to Dublin’s most needy. This chocolate fantasy room was only a small…
Coinciding in a year when Ireland will play in the European Football Championships and will host international athletics teams training for the Olympics in Britain, organisers of the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) are incorporating sports into their programme and facilitating fans attending the Congress to keep up-to-date with sporting highlights. ”Wouldn’t it be interesting…