A west of Ireland parish priest has written a letter to God to restore the power and water to his cold and weary parishioners who have had to face hardship in the face of the aftermath of the January storms. Writing from Parochial House, Lisdoonvarna, Fr Robert McNamara read the letter at Sunday Masses. It…
Irish religious praise American Episcopal bishop
The Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI) have written a letter of congratulations to the American Bishop, Mariann Budde, of the Episcopal Church after her sermon during an inaugural prayer service in front of President Trump urging him to show mercy towards LGBTQ+ and migrant communities. In the letter, AMRI explained…
Bishop blesses Millennial saint Shrine
The Shrine of the soon-to-be saint, Carlo Acutis was blessed recently in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. The event was held at the Church of the Holy Family, Ardfinnan, Co. Tipperary as Mass was celebrated on the upcoming canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis on April 27, 2025, during the Jubilee of Teenagers. Fr Michael…
The Irish Pastor writes
Notes in haste – January 2025 We have a new school principal in our Catholic school, which rejoices in having our bishop as its patron. The chair of the board of management almost crowed at the Catholic attributes of the new principal; he would be a squeaky-clean leader of our school, in addition to already…
IC Columnist and Senator re-elected to Seanad
Senator Ronan Mullen, of this parish, was safely and comfortably elected on the 8th Count to Seanad Éireann on the NUI graduate panel with 9,107 votes. Senator Mullen said “I am honoured to have been elected to a 5th term in Seanad Éireann where I will continue to speak up for the protection of human…
Mayor of Clonmel still hoping for meeting with Franciscans
The recent unrest involving the future of the Franciscan Friary in Clonmel seems to have come to an end after an undertaking was given by the Abbey House of Prayer Group to end their sit-in last Thursday during High Court proceedings for trespass, but the Mayor of Clonmel is still hoping that mediation can be…
Parents as economic units of production
Dear Editor, The lack of support for parents who wish to stay at home with their children has, and continues to be, something the Irish Government chooses to ignore. The omission of such supports in the Government’s programme is a glaring oversight and reflects a troubling “ideological blind spot” that fails to recognise the vital…
‘Something special’ felt around Derry since opening of Sr Clare’s cause
There’s “something special” afoot in the city of Derry since the path to sainthood began for one of their own, Sr Clare Crockett, according to a local priest. Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Fr Gerard Mongan Administrator of Long Tower Church in Derry, said that the magnitude of the local Derry girl’s sensational path…
Irish women religious, in their Synod submission, came across as passionate, hurt, and angry at their marginalisation, not just in society, but more importantly, within the Church
In their document ‘Experience and Dreams as Religious Women in the Catholic Church in Ireland’ which was included in the submission of the Church in Ireland to the Synod in Rome, Irish women religious come across as passionate, hurt, angry at their marginalisation, but hopeful that some good will come of the Synodal Process. It…
Ask God to protect Christians and all people in Syria
Dear Editor, I had a short review in Books of the Year in The Irish Catholic of Up from the Ashes [The Irish Catholic – December 12, 2024]. I just want to draw attention to how certain minorities in Syria are fearful for their security and very lives under their new rulers, the HTS. Before…