Since Francis, succeeded to the Chair of Peter on 13 March 2013 there has been a perception in many quarters that he is or would be a somewhat ‘liberal’ pontiff. This may have come about because of the undoubted ‘conservatism’ of his immediate predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. However, it… Read More
Category: Church News
The Princess Nun – St Margaret of Hungary, O.P.
Today the Dominican Order Celebrates the Feast Day of the Princess Nun, St. Margaret of Hungary, O.P. St. Margaret, was the first daughter of King Bela IV, champion of Christendom, and Queen Mary Lascaris of Hungary, and was offered to God before her birth, in petition that the country would be delivered from… Read More
Dying for the Faith- Red Wednesday
These days there is much written and spoken about how faith and the observance and practise of religion has greatly declined, especially among the younger generation. Sometimes we forget to be grateful for the fact that those of us who do want to go to Church and pray with our fellow believers have the… Read More
The Gentle Queen- St Elizabeth of Hungary
This week on Wednesday, November 17th we celebrated the feast of St Elizabeth of Hungary who was born in Pressburg in 1207, a daughter of the King, Andrew III, and his wife Gertrude who was later murdered. Those were very different times and in infancy, she was betrothed to Louis IV, son of Hermann I,… Read More
Celebration of Life Mass- Sunday 3 October
Celebration of Life Mass- Sunday 3 October Where: St Saviour’s Church, Upper Dominick Street, Dublin 1 In the early days of the lockdown caused by the covid-19 pandemic my good friend’s father died. At that time of course we were unable to go into the Church so there was no funeral Mass. Friends and neighbours… Read More
A Visit to Knock
Last Saturday I was in the west of Ireland for the weekend and took the opportunity to pay a visit to Knock Shrine in Co Mayo. The journey from Ballaghaderreen, where we were based, is a pleasant one through tranquil countryside. We made our way past houses and shop fronts festooned with Mayo flags in… Read More
Popes in Peril – Times of crisis
It came as an unpleasant shock this week when news emerged from Rome that a threatening letter containing three bullets addressed to Pope Francis had been seized by Italian police. The discovery was made in a postal facility in the small town of Peschiera Borromeo on the outskirts of Milan. The suspicious package, believed to… 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
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
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
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
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
The Pearl of Scotland
On Monday of this week, we celebrated the feast of St Margaret of Scotland, who was born in Hungary in 1045 and who would go on to become Queen of a country which would indeed blossom and flower under her refining and religious influence. Of her eight children three, Edmund, Alexander, and David became kings… Read More
November – Remembering the Holy Souls
November – Remembering Our Dead, Month of the Holy Souls This year, we would all I think agree, has been one like no other thanks to Covid-19. Only those among us old enough to have had experience of World War II will remember such a time of ongoing catastrophe. Death of course on a grand… Read More