A man has been remanded in custody over the alleged arson of the parochial house in Athy, Co. Kildare, on February 18. James Rowan (45) faces allegations of burglary and criminal damage, which caused hundreds of thousands of euros worth of damage, Naas District Court was told. Garda Ken McDonald alleged the defendant stole cash…
Overcoming ‘analysis paralysis’ in the Church
There’s a phrase in sport to describe when a player has thought so much about what he is doing that he can’t do it anymore: analysis paralysis. With the proliferation of coaches, experts, statisticians and the recording technology, the wealth of information and advice can overwhelm even the most talented sportsman or woman. You take…
Senator challenges Govt’s ‘draconian’ safe access zones bill
Independent Senator, Sharon Keogan, has lambasted the Government’s safe access bill, insisting that the implications of the bill “are just as worrying as the hate speech bill in terms of their impact on civil liberties”. Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Keogan said that she had “raised concerns with the House about this bill’s draconian implications”…
Experience of grief profoundly impacted during Covid, report finds
The Time to Reflect survey, commissioned by Irish Hospice Foundation to explore the impact of Covid on the experiences and perceptions of the Irish population in relation to dying, death, and bereavement during this time found that the Covid pandemic had a profound impact on people’s experience of death, dying and grieving. A total of 2,259…
Tánaiste Martin: GAA must do more to encourage Catholics to join PSNI
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said the GAA must do more to help boost the number of Catholics joining the PSNI. The Fianna Fáil leader told The Irish News that the sports and cultural body needed to be more vocal in encouraging Catholics into the police service’s ranks. He was speaking after meeting the Catholic Police…
Director of ‘Barbie’ plans big and bold ‘Narnia’ reboot
The director of award winning smash hit Barbie is planning for a “bigger and bolder” adaptation for Narnia series by Christian writer CS Lewis, Netflix have announced. Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the Christian classic will be “rooted in faith”, according to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. “It won’t be counter to how the audience may have…
Protecting adults and children with a right to housing
Over the last 20 years, the way in which homeless services are provided in Dublin and beyond has gone through significant change. We have moved from a position where a number of voluntary homeless service providers operated in relative independence from each other with limited co-ordination of effort and resources, to a position where the…
The Confession Box – Episode 14
In this episode of The Confession Box, Brandon Scott and Ruadhan Jones discuss the accusations that Government is not doing enough for people with disabilities, a cathedral being exposed to drug use and the unlikely relationship between the Vatican and the film reel.
LA remembers slain Irish bishop one year on
The Archbishop of Los Angeles, Irish priests and many of those who knew and worked with the late Irish Bishop David O’Connell, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles who was shot dead on February 18, 2023, have paid tribute to his memory ahead of a memorial mass on Saturday February 24 to mark the first anniversary of his…
Church must invest in lay infrastructure
Over the weekend, Pope Francis announced the dates for the second round of the synod later this year. Bishops, clergy, religious and laity will descend on Rome from October 2 to 27 to consider once more how we can foster a co-responsible Church. ‘Co-responsible’ is a word that reeks of business-ese, but it points to…