Bishop Niall Coll There is a long tradition in the Church that each new bishop picks a motto, normally chosen from Scripture, which seeks to encapsulate his thoughts, prayers and priorities as he begins his new ministry. When I arrived in Ossory in January of last year, the one I chose was ‘Christ Jesus our…
Michael R. Heinlein What do we do when we return to the pew after receiving Holy Communion? Having welcomed the Lord of the universe into our own corner of it, in the humblest yet profound of ways, how should our prayer be directed? For years, I’d attempt various strategies hoping to make the most of…
Russell Shaw Lately I’ve had occasion to read two books by St John Henry Newman. One is Newman’s first novel, Loss and Gain, while the other is that classic “history of my religious opinions” (Newman’s words), the Apologia Pro Vita Sua. Although the two volumes could hardly be more unalike in most respects, both…
Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín is one of the key figures of the Synod on Synodality. Pope Francis appointed him undersecretary of the event, which the Spanish prelate says he has experienced as “an offer of grace” and a call “to personal conversion”. With the recent meeting in Rome already concluded and the final…
Fr Alan Hilliard Several years ago, I attended a conference in Melbourne Australia. It related to world religions and there was a specific section on Indigenous people. I was enthralled by a leader from the Inuit community. Though they live simple lives, it has its complexities. They are herders and nomadic, so they walk with…
Br Luiz Otavio S. Silva, O. Carm I was born in Recife, capital of the state, the youngest of three children, and lived most of my life in a town called Escada, 61km away. I was raised in the Catholic religion from the cradle, having very fond memories of a childhood spent in contact with…
News in brief A new novena prayer to St Francis of Tour has been composed by Fr Roland Colhoun, based in Co. Tyrone. “For the last fortnight, I’ve been praying for a young fellow who is trying to make some important decisions for his future. In the closing days of October, he asked my…
The Fontana di Trevi in Rome is being restored – like so many sights in the Eternal City. However, tourists do not have to do without the coin toss. The Fontana di Trevi in the historic centre of Rome has been pumped dry for renovation. The baroque masterpiece is to be given a footbridge by…
Dear Editor, Discussions about legalising assisted suicide raise serious concerns about the protection of the vulnerable and the potential consequences. If assisted suicide becomes law, the elderly, the sick, and people with disabilities may face subtle pressures, both social and economic, to choose death rather than life. A culture will emerge where individuals are made…
Honour thy Father and Mother’ is an instruction that comes to us from on High. But it is not just a Catholic or Christian demand. Until recently it had been timeless and universal. It was an instruction that was central to the proper organising of society. It was often taken as a given, an objective…