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
Category: Blog
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
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
Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday
I was listening to the Brendan O’Connor Show last weekend on the radio and at one stage the host pointed out that we have nothing to look forward to during these long days while Covid continues to influence all the decisions about how we live our lives. He was echoing some of the viewpoints… Read More
Dublin Welcomes a New Archbishop
This week not only saw the start of a new month but also the installation of a new Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Dermot Farrell. A former president of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, he had been parish priest at Dunboyne, Co Meath until his appointment as Bishop of Ossory in January 2018. The eldest of seven… Read More
The Bells of the Angelus
Those of us of a certain age grew up with RTE’s daily Angelus broadcasts at 12.00 and 18.00 as part of the background to our lives. They were a call to prayer which we took for granted. At school, we would stand up in class and recite the prayer. The Angelus is a Catholic devotion… Read More
Making the Most of Quarantine (Lockdown)
The continuing fight against Covid-19 means that we are in the middle of another lockdown with no absolute certain end in sight. We heard earlier this week that there will be no St Patrick’s Day parade. While we could probably have predicted this it is still another dampener on our potential plans. In a time… Read More
Violence on the Hill
Last week the world reacted in shocked amazement as an angry mob stormed in Washington and managed to enter and rampage in its hallowed halls. Some even emerged with ‘souvenirs’! The first thing to note is that not every person who turned out to march that day intended such actions to take place, indeed many… Read More
That Sketch – For the Love of God!
There was a time when I did have a television but about five years ago I decided to get rid of same so now I depend mostly on the radio for my news. This, of course means that I did not have the option of watching RTE One’s New Year’s Eve Countdown Show. In view… Read More
Christmas with Covid
One morning this week while listening to the radio I heard a news report broadcast from Dublin Airport. The people interviewed were describing how different their workplace looked this year. The crowds which usually pass through their portals at Christmas have dwindled, all as a result of the restrictions imposed by Covid-19. One woman explained… Read More
Born without Sin: Immaculate Conception of Mary
On Tuesday of this week, we celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, mother of Jesus and mother of the Church. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception holds that Mary was free from Original Sin from the very moment of her conception. In 1467 the feast of the Immaculate Conception was approved by… Read More
From Advent to Lent
Last Sunday, November 29 marked the beginning of Advent, the first of twenty-five days when we get ready for the great event of Christ’s birth. The word itself has its roots in the Latin, adventus which translates as ‘arrival’, from advenire – ad meaning ‘to’ and venire– ‘come’. Advent is a time of spiritual preparation… Read More