Theology student and rugby international Andrew Trimble is admired as much for his brilliance on the rugby pitch as for his courage in talking about his committed Christian faith. Writer John Scally learns that there is no room for tokenism in the dashing world of Ulster’s finest.
Retired Bishop Geoffrey Robinson critiques the Church’s use and misuse of power, from the Pope to any preacher at the pulpit. He also proposes a new model of exercising authority in the Church where all the members are treated as responsible adults.
Carers for the dying have a sublime and sensitive vocation. They need to be aware of their own motivation. They should not deny the reality of the coming death so patients and carers can share memories and deal with past hurts. Philip Fogarty SJ explains.
John Waters is journalist who has become an outspoken campaigner for fathers’ rights in Ireland. He has also written a song to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Here he recalls his journey from belief to unbelief and back again.
Paul Andrews SJ recounts his time with the parish priest in a New Zealand parish and how the way of life there gives expression to the gospel message in the 21st century.
Jackie Pallas tells about her work as National Secretary of the Society of Missionary Children, and how it links children in Ireland with children in Africa in helping and praying for one another.
Columban missionary Fr. Shay Cullen’s columns are published in The Manila Times, in publications in Ireland, the UK, Hong Kong, and on-line.) http://www.preda.org/archives/2008/r08082001.html
The conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI) is a forum for over 80 religious congregations. Sarah Mac Donald spoke to its Director General, Sr Marianne O’Connor OSU.
The recent Synod of Bishops in Rome on the Word of God (October 2008) highlighted ways of more effective proclaiming the Word of God in today’s world and having it inspire the lives of Christians. In anticipation of this, the Cloyne Commission for Liturgical Formation last year produced two beautiful [...]
We follow Ignatius with Brian Grogan SJ as he goes to Rome and on to Venice hoping to go to Jerusalem.
This book by Mgr Charles G. Vella, who has had long experience as a hospital chaplain, stresses the humanising and healing effects of the simple communicative acts of listening, caressing, smiling, stopping by and giving time to sick patients and not treating them as a number. Useful for anyone working [...]
There was a time, says Paul Andrews SJ, when the Irish Church needed the metaphor of the light of the world. for instance, in famine times when it gave us an identity to survive misery. Perhaps now it is time for another image: yeast in the dough, working for good [...]
Maria Forrestal FMM wonders if as a Franciscan she should be a vegetarian. How, she asks, should a Franciscan sister live out the attitude of St. Francis of Assisi towards animals and the whole of creation?
The writer senses we have a call as Christians to care for the earth.
Celine Mangan OP uses the two quotes which follow to bring awareness of how the animal world can teach us humans how our actions are causing destruction to planet earth: ‘The land mourns and all who live in it languish; even the fish of the sea are perishing.’ (Hos.4.3) and [...]
In a thought-provoking booklet, Desmond Fennell responds to Vincent Twomey’s book on Irish Catholicism.