Category: Uncategorized

Beatification of Jesuit General Arrupe one step further

The beatification process for the former Jesuit General Pedro Arrupe (1907-1991) has taken an important step. The diocesan phase of the process will be completed on November 14, the Vicariate of Rome announced recently. The beatification process was formally opened in 2019 at the request of the Jesuits. Arrupe was born in 1907 in the…

Bishop Hayes encourages action to sustain creation on ‘Environment Day’

On 7 September, Bishop Martin Hayes of Kilmore, Episcopal Coordinator for Laudato Si’/Laudate Deum, and a member of the Laudato Si’ Working Group (LSWG) of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, was invited to speak in Kinsale, Co Cork, as part of the current Season of Creation celebrations. In his presentation, Bishop Hayes highlighted the main theme of Laudato Si’,…

Ten days of timeless masterpieces

While this may be a time of relaxation when holidays are in full sway, for those involved with the Kilkenny Arts Festival that runs from August 8 to 18, it means a particularly busy period. The principal feature of the 2024 festival will be a short opera and monodrama by Emma O’Halloran, Trade and Mary…

Iraq: ‘ISIS tried to eradicate us, but failed’

  Ten years after being driven from their homelands by Islamic State (ISIS) militants thousands of Christians have returned to houses in the Nineveh Plains which have now been rebuilt, according to Aid to the Church in Need Ireland. During an online conference organised by the Catholic charity, Nizar Semaan, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of…

TG4 explores the holy wells of Ireland

The Irish-language broadcaster TG4 is set to dive into the history, myths and legends associated with Ireland’s holy wells in a six-part documentary series. In Ag Triall ar an Tobar, presenter Manchán Magan will uncover holy wells that have been sites of worship and prayer for centuries and are still visited today for those seeking…

Report: ‘Nones’ now largest religious category in US

Religiously unaffiliated people, often referred to as “nones,” now make up the largest religious category in the US, according to a new report by the Pew Research Centre. Pew’s new report, released January 24, shows that nones now account for 28% of the total US population, outstripping the next largest group, Catholics, who make up 20%.…