The “Stealing of the Statue” is an annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition in Mt. Adams, a suburb of Cincinnati. A yearly Mass honours St. Patrick and the local members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians who have passed away over the last year The Mass culminates with stealing the Read more
More than 10 years after its final report, the commission set up by the Irish government to investigate claims of abuse in religious-run institutions has admitted that it overestimated the number of children in the homes. In a statement Nov. 25, the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse said the number of children housed in Read more
A radical overhaul of the Catholic church in Ireland may see a reduction in the number of dioceses in the Irish Church, says Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin. Martin has also called for a radical overhaul in the training of priests. Outlining his vision for renewal which would include a “reduction and rationalisation of dioceses” Read more
The College Chapel at St. Patrick’s College of Maynooth, Ireland, has 454 carved oak stalls for seminarians and priests. They run in serried ranks down the length of its nave, making it the largest choir chapel in the world. The church itself is a masterpiece of Gothic Revival, and the ceiling of the church offers Read more
An initiative to give spiritual accompaniment to survivors of clerical sex abuse has been set up in Ireland. Towards Peace was launched on May 25 in Cork with a Mass of healing and reconciliation. The initiative seeks to help survivors re-engage with their faith. It is being rolled out regionally in Ireland over the next Read more
Allegations of abuse have been made against 42 priests in the diocese of Down and Connor in Ireland in the past 38 years, an audit has revealed. The review was carried out by the Catholic Church’s child protection watchdog, the National Board for Safeguarding Children. It revealed that since 1975, 59 allegations had been made Read more
I entered the seminary in Dublin in October 1962, just one week before the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The winter of 1962-63 was one of the bleakest in decades, and our seminary was a very cold place in more ways than one. My memory of the seminary is of a building and a Read more
Muslim immigrants are finding a much more welcoming atmosphere in traditionally Catholic Ireland than in Europe or America, according to an article in The Atlantic magazine. Muslims make up just 1.1 per cent of the 4.5 million people in Ireland, but their ranks are swelling due to immigration, births and, in some cases, conversion. The Read more
The Archbishop of Dublin has told the Catholic Church in Ireland it is “too timid” in bringing the Christian message to the problems of society. In a homily in his pro-cathedral, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said the Church “should be active and present in society, drawing attention to suffering and repression of any kind and being Read more