D.D. Emmons In Church history, few lay people have had more positive effect on the success of Catholic worldwide missionary activities than a Frenchwoman named Pauline Jaricot. Born into an aristocratic family in 1799, she used her influence to not only help spread the Gospel but rejuvenate devotion to the rosary and highlight deplorable conditions…
Gerald Korson The family that prays together stays together” has been an international Catholic catchphrase for 80 years, a truism that is instinctively self-evident even if it admits of exceptions. Another popular slogan, “A world at prayer is a world at peace,” likewise proposes prayer as a prevention or remedy for conflict and disunity on…
Sr Hosea Rupprecht Think for just a moment about the pace at which digital technology has grown over the past 20 years. Saying ‘fast’ would be a bit of an understatement. Most of the time, the expansion and innovations of the digital culture leave our heads spinning. Now, with generative artificial intelligence, or AI, there’s…
Gabriel Dupén A brief testimony of St Therese of Lisieux showering down roses You gave birth to a late-born child in our Lord Jesus Christ. A shadowed soul exhaustingly downgraded by its sins, thirsty for the truth, light, and salvation, surrendered to you. Thus, in Jesus. Overwhelmed, doubtful, hopeless, empty, you have found me. Accidentally…
On a dusky fall evening, I take a walk down a familiar neighbourhood street. Ahead of me, a small deer looks my way at the same moment I spot him. Freezing, I realise he’s being followed by seven companions. They dash across the street and disappear into a backyard. I gaze into the yard, where…
God has been gently guiding my little boat along the stream, taking the greatest care of me despite my spontaneous actions, says Michelle Kelly I want to begin by saying that God has been gracious to me. Oftentimes I fail to acknowledge His gifts and grumble over the difficulties in my life, but when I…
Fr Pat Collins CM Recently, when he was in Singapore, Pope Francis said, “All religions are paths to God, I will use an analogy: they are like different languages that express the divine. But God is for everyone, and therefore, we are all God’s children. ’But my God is more important than yours!’ Is this…
Fr Barry White The understanding of the laity’s role in the Church has evolved considerably, especially since the Second Vatican Council, which emphasised their central participation in the Church’s mission. Rooted in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, laypeople are called to share in Christ’s kingly, priestly, and prophetic office. Their participation is not merely…
Fr Patrick Briscoe OP When I think about the saints most beloved by modern Catholics, Padre Pio tops the list. His weathered face and brown Capuchin habit are iconic. His remarkable personal story, his strong-willed personality and the intensity of his spiritual life are absolutely captivating. But here’s the thing: I think most people get…
I believe the faith in Ireland is not dead. It’s like a bird in hibernation, waiting to awaken, says Anto Crossey It was November 2019, when Robert Nugent called 500 men to Derry. Like many others, I simply responded to the call, showing up that day without fully realising what lay ahead. The gathering was…