WYD call for vocations
Pope Benedict XVI has invited young people of the world to realizse their vocations and, instead of turning away disappointed as the young rich man in Mark's Gospel, to follow Jesus with courage. ....

Mercy sisters criticised for not giving land to council
The Sisters of Mercy in Galway city have been criticised for not donating a parcel of land in the city to the local council which wanted it for the erection of a memorial park.  Instead the ....

A good death
Today (March 19) the first doctor to administer a legal, voluntary, lethal injection to terminally ill patients is holding a lecture in Ireland. Dr Philip Nitschke provided injections to four ....

Plight of immigrants
We must prevent another lost generation, but we must not abandon or forget those who emigrate. That is according to Bishop Seamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, and Chair of the Council for Emigrants ....

Cork confirmation an all-ticket affair
Parents in a North Cork parish have strongly criticised a decision by a local parish priest that will leave some relatives with no alternative but watch confirmation from a specially erected ....

Drip, drip revelations of child abuse failure must stop, Cardinal says
The “drip, drip, drip of revelations of failure” over child abuse must be stopped for the sake of victims and the Irish Catholic Church, Cardinal Seán Brady has said. Speaking at Mass yesterday in ....

New EU directive threatens religious freedom, expert warns
A proposed EU equality directive may threaten liberty of conscience and freedom of speech, a leading advocate for religious freedom has warned. In testimony to the Social Affairs Committee of the ....

Coulter says he would pen anthem for both traditions
Derry born songwriter Phil Coulter has said he'd be willing, if asked, to write a new sporting anthem for the Northern Ireland football team which would respect both traditions in Northern ....

St. Patrick's Day in Nigeria
Nigeria and Ireland have more in common than we think - St Patrick is considered the patron saint of both countries, and the two nations manufacture and drink copious quantities of Guinness. St ....

Moyross monks to consider Thomond Park protest
A Limerick city based religious order is considering holding a protest outside Thomond Park in Limerick if the game between Munster and Leinster goes ahead as scheduled on Good Friday. The Grey ....

Statue taken from Renmore grotto
Gardaí have appealed for information following the theft of a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes from a grotto in Renmore on the outskirts of Galway city.  Gardaí are unsure as to when precisely ....

Cardinal says he will not resign over allegations
Cardinal Seán Brady, head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, has insisted that he will not resign over his presence at a meeting in 1975 regarding child sex abuser Fr Brendan Smyth. Twenty years ....

CoI Bishop of Killaloe pays tribute to Bishop Willie Walsh
The Church of Ireland Bishop of Killaloe Dr Trevor Williams (pictured) this week paid tribute to his longstanding friend Dr Willie Walsh where he was guest of honour at the Roscrea sports awards ....

Amendment will respect parents, say TDs
The proposed children's rights referendum, which will lower the threshold at which the State can intervene in the family to remove children, will not give the State too much power, TDs have ....

Dispute erupts between church choir and travelling community in Limerick
A dispute has arisen in a County Limerick Church between a local church choir and a number of members of the travelling community.  The Holy Family church in Rathkeale which famously ....

Kerry hospital statue moved to new location
The controversy over the moving of a statue of the Sacred Heart at Killarney Community Hospital took on a new twist this week when it was revealed that it was moved to another location in the ....

Tributes paid to Waterford scout chaplain
Tributes have been paid throughout county Waterford over the past couple of weeks to long serving former Chaplain to the Waterford De Salle Scouts Fr John Boyle who passed away recently aged 79. A ....

St Francis Xavier novena
There was a great turn-out for the annual Novena of Grace, taking place in many churches throughout Dublin, Galway, Limerick and the rest of the country.  Some parishes had guest Jesuit ....

Bikers blessing ceremony at Galway church.
A priest who is also a keen motorbike fan is conducting a special blessing ceremony for fellow-bikers in Galway today. Fr Murchadh O Madagain said he decided to set up the blessing ceremony for ....

Good Counsel priests honour long-serving teaching priest
The priests, staff and students of Good Counsel College in New Ross in County Wexford honoured one of their longest serving members at the weekend.  Celebrations were held for Fr. Pat Codd ....

One billion hungry
“Hunger is a symptom of a succession of failed policies at the highest levels of government everywhere,” said the UN’s Special Rapporteur on hunger, Professor Olivier De Schutter. “Hunger is ....

Mayo nun safe and well in Chile after earthquake
The family of a Mayo born nun has this week expressed their relief that she is safe and well in Chile after the recent earthquake.  Presentation Sister Mary T McDonagh rang her family in the ....

Record crowds attend Fermanagh novena
The rector of the Graan Passionist monastery in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Fr Brian D'Arcy c.p. (pictured) has reported unprecedented interest this year in an annual novena held there. Fr D’Arcy ....

Blogs are here to stay
Religion blogs are no longer a just new trend but have matured.  Whilst they have a growing influence, they are still relatively underutilised especially in modern religious discussion, ....

Heritage threat as ancient High Cross damaged by frost
One of Ireland’s most significant early Christian artefacts has been damaged by the unprecedented recent cold spell. Muiredach's High Cross in Monasterboice, Co. Louth, is said to be in severe ....

Munster prayer priest calls for fixture switch
A Catholic priest who penned a special prayer for the Munster rugby team has become the latest person to call for a re-fixing of the Munster v. Leinster game on Good Friday.  Fr Liam Ryan ....

Derry Presbyterian minister overwhelmed by support from catholic neighbours
A Derry city Presbyterian minister has challenged the perception that Protestants are not welcome on Derry's cityside.  Speaking to the Derry Journal newspaper Reverend David Latimer, of ....

British policemen remembered at Longford mass
A number of British soldiers who lost their lives during the war of independence were remembered at a special mass in Granard in County Longford at the weekend.  For the first time, and in a ....

Government's announcement on schools "surprise", says Bishop
Bishop Leo O'Reilly, the chairman of the Catholic bishops commission on education, has expressed surprise at a speech by Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe last Friday in which he said his ....

Bishop Walsh claims bishops find it difficult to address their flock at this time
The Bishop of Killaloe Bishop Willie Walsh has, in what is likely to be his last pastoral letter before retirement, claimed that a huge gulf has been created between bishops and the laity.  ....

Guides boom in recession
An exhibition and book on the Catholic Guides of Ireland (CGI) is meeting with very positive response and bringing back a lot of memories for former girl guides as it tours Ireland’s ....

Belfast parish gets go-ahead for new church
Lisburn City Council’s Planning Service has given its approval for a much-needed new church to replace the existing Christ the Redeemer Church in Lagmore in west Belfast. The new church will have ....

Department looking to cut 10 Catholic schools
Officials at the Department of Education are looking at ten urban areas where the number of Catholic primary schools will be cut, it has been revealed. But under arrangements announced by the ....

Abortion claims "complete nonsense", say PLC
Claims that there is now greater public demand for abortion have been dismissed as “complete nonsense” by the Pro-Life Campaign (PLC).  In a statement responding to a YouGov poll showing ....

New moderator
The election of Reverend Norman Hamilton (pictured) as the next Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has been welcomed by the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Cardinal Seán ....

Bishop to get civic reception.
The bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh is to be accorded a civic reception by Clare County Council as he prepares to step down at the age of 75. The council has not named the date of the event ....

Senator says pubs should stay closed Good Friday despite rugby fixture
An Independent Senator has stated that pubs should stay closed on Good Friday and that we should respect the age old tradition.  Senator Ronan Mullen (pictured) made his comments in an ....

Ursulines celebrate
Today at 11:10am, RTÉ One television is broadcasting Mass from the Ursuline Convent Chapel in Thurles, Co Tipperary, to celebrate the Sister’s 475th anniversary. The celebrant and homilist for the ....

Killarney priest criticises HSE decision to remove statue
A Killarney based priest has criticised a decision by the HSE to remove an iconic religious statue from a long-standing County Kerry hospital.  The health body said it had removed crucifixes ....

"Build on the progress that has been made" - Archbishop Alan Harper
The Most Revd Alan Harper, (pictured) Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland has called on everyone to play their part to ensure that the, “the peace we have begun to enjoy is truly ....