Priestly vocations in Ireland are experiencing a modest yet significant development, with a slight uptick in the number of men answering the call to priesthood. This trend is being hailed as a hopeful sign amid ongoing challenges in meeting the pastoral and sacramental needs of the country’s parishes. At present, at least 26 seminarians from Read more
Young Catholics are creating a stir in Ireland. Catholic youth groups are experiencing a resurgence. Hundreds of young Catholics are being drawn to faith-based activities and community service, the word from youth groups says. Hope is in the air Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross says the resurgence makes him feel hopeful. “I am Read more
Did you know that Ireland boasts four Nobel laureates and five Booker Prize winners? From literary giants like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett to contemporary authors like Colm Tóibín and Sally Rooney, Irish writers have made a significant impact. It’s quite impressive for a country with a population of just 5 million. One might wonder Read more
An Irish Catholic priest has been reprimanded by his bishop for a sermon on sin, homosexuality, promiscuity, abortion and the ‘lunatic approach of transgenderism. “We rarely hear about sin, but it’s rampant, it’s rampant. “We see it in the promotion of abortion. .. in this lunatic approach of transgenderism,… in the promotion of sex between Read more
At precisely noon on May 17, 2011, the 85-year-old daughter of the last king of Ireland touched down at Casement Aerodrome, a military airfield southwest of Dublin. For the first time in a century, a reigning British monarch set foot in what is now the Republic of Ireland but for centuries had been the impoverished Read more
August can often be a quiet time in the news and opinion cycle. But the quiet was disturbed this year in Ireland with the publication on Aug. 16 of the synthesis document for Ireland’s contribution to the universal synod on synodality. The Irish Times, Ireland’s premier newspaper, led with the news on Aug. 17, proclaiming Read more
The report synthesising Ireland’s feedback on the synod on synodality is very clear. “Anyone with two eyes in their head can see that renewal in our church is clearly and urgently necessary. “The challenge is to find the good way of renewal,” says Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell. The Catholic Church in Ireland and across Read more
Several thousand people gathered in Dublin city centre on Saturday for a pro-life rally. The crowds assembled at Parnell Square at lunchtime, before marching down O’Connell Street and onto Custom House Quay. The Rally For Life was the first in-person march to be held since 2019 because of Covid restrictions. Organisers said the chief aim Read more
The Catholic Church in Ireland is “moving from maintenance to mission” and needs to renew and refresh itself, Archbishop Eamon Martin says. Martin made the comment after attending Ireland’s national pre-synodal assembly this week. “The question is — what next? “We are still not entirely certain, but we are open to what the Holy Spirit Read more
Wearing green has become a staple of St Patrick’s Day but Saint Patrick’s colour was blue, not green, say historians. The hue — St Patrick’s blue, a lighter shade — can still be seen on ancient Irish flags. But the use of green on St. Patrick’s Day began during the 1798 Irish Rebellion when the Read more