We in Ireland are proud of our two famous Patron Saints, Patrick and of course Brigid, who is also known as “the Mary of the Gaels”. Until quite recently, I am ashamed to admit, I did not know that there is another saint of the same name, Brigid of Sweden. We celebrate her Feast Day… Read More
Fatima – The Movie
This week I had an opportunity to see the film Fatima, directed by Marco Pontecorvo who said he believes it to be a “subject that can talk to everyone, not only Catholics. It has a meaning, a very powerful meaning, for everyone, not only for believers.” The story centers around three Portuguese children, Lucia dos… Read More
Father of the Reformation: Lutheran church
I usually attend Mass on Saturday evenings so when I was invited by a friend to accompany her to a Lutheran service last Sunday morning, I was delighted to be able to accept. It took place in St Finian’s Church in Adelaide Road which has been a permanent place of worship for the Lutheran congregation… Read More
Anne Frank – A Legacy
Most of us have heard of Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, the best known and most widely read book of the Holocaust. Its author is regarded as a symbol of the one million Jewish children who were murdered because of Adolf Hitler’s Final Solution to what he considered the Jewish Problem. Anne’s… Read More
The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity
Last Sunday I attended a Mass which was celebrated by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell in the Church of Our Mother of Divine Grace in Ballygall. As required by Covid restrictions the number of people in the congregation was limited. Still, it feels good to be back again in the company of others and… Read More
In the World’s Spotlight: Pope Francis
On New Year’s Eve, 2019 Pope Francis made headlines news when he slapped the hand of a woman as he greeted pilgrims at the Vatican. Francis’ patience snapped when the woman suddenly snatched at his hand and yanked him towards her as he reached out to greet a child during a visit to the… Read More
A World without War, Amen
Every war has its iconic images which show the suffering that people endure as a consequence of the aggression. I am thinking of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Photographer Eddie Adams, whose 1968 ‘Saigon Execution’ helped fuel the anti-war movement and end the US involvement in Vietnam. On the front of the paper one day this week… Read More
Open Doors: Reopening of the Church
It is certain that most people of faith are law-abiding, consequently in Ireland, there has been Church compliance with the Government’s severe regulations against public worship, even though all across Europe and indeed Britain, churches have opened much earlier for prayer and services. Throughout the long, long days of Lockdown, during the worst of… Read More
The Gentle Guardian of the Church: St Joseph
Last year, on December 8th, Pope Francis decreed a special year dedicated to St Joseph for the global Catholic Church. It marks the 150th anniversary of St Joseph being declared patron of the universal Church in 1870. The man who was given the task of caring for and watching over Mary and Jesus, would… Read More
In Praise of Older People: First World Day
Earlier this week, It was announced that the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated on Sunday 25th July. The press release came from the Vatican’s Dicastery (a department of the Roman Curia) for the Laity, Family, and Life. The theme chosen by Pope Francis for this inaugural commemoration is, “I… Read More
A Day to Remember: Yom HaShoah
The Christian religion began with the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was a Jew as were his earliest followers. In one sense it is possible to say that Christianity began as a movement within Judaism. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, these early followers believed him to be the Messiah… Read More
In the Upper Room: Holy Thursday
We are now in Holy Week, the most important time in The Church’s year, even greater than Christmas because Christ brings to fruition the mission he was born to accomplish. From Holy Thursday through to Easter Sunday we celebrate the Triduum, the three days we recall the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I remember… Read More
Patrick, the Man Behind the Myth
Sometimes I find it really amazing to think that St Patrick’s Day is celebrated the world over. The name of our national saint is known far and wide across the globe. Of course, it has to be acknowledged that what was primarily a religious feast day has become widely secularized. This year because we are… Read More
The Pope’s Historic Visit to Iraq
When Pope Francis returned to the Vatican last Monday after his four-day trip to Iraq he was fulfilling a dream of his predecessor, Pope St John Paul II who had hoped to travel to Iraq at the end of 1999. This trip never took place because Saddam Hussein decided to postpone it after… Read More
St David and Wales
This week, on Monday the first day of March our neighbours, Wales celebrated its national day with the feast of St David. They have been observing this since the twelfth century. Today the festivities usually involve the singing of traditional songs followed by a Te Bac which is a special tea with bara brith, a… Read More
In Praise of Letters and Cards
In the years when I was young and growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, we were all used to sending and receiving letters on a fairly regular basis. I even had a pen pal in England whom I corresponded with diligently for a few years. When I was in my twenties a friend… Read More