Posted on 31. Dec, 2015 in Christian Values, Gospel Values, Media, War / Civil Unrest
The coming of the New Year is a time to take stock, reassess life and consider what is really important. So says Brendan Butler from We Are Church. His resolution this year is to stop talking about war, something which he says only serves to make the arms industry rich. Instead he says he will […]
Posted on 31. Dec, 2015 in Uncategorized
In many cultures religious beliefs can create divisive opinion which drive people apart. In previous times it was issues around money or the differing teachings around communion and sainthood that drove communities apart. In todays world the divisive issues are largely around sexual morality. Miriam Gormally met Donal Casey, an atheist turned Christian, who has […]
Posted on 31. Dec, 2015 in Uncategorized
More than 350 volunteers helped serve Christmas dinners and deliver food to those in need for the 91st Annual Knights of St Columbanus Christmas Day dinner in Dublin in the RDS. They provided a place for the many poor and homeless people who are left with no resources and no where to go. More than 450 […]
Posted on 24. Dec, 2015 in Book Reviews, Christian Values, Christmas, Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice, Gospel Values, Liturgy, Prayer
“Let everything secular about Christmas remind us of its Holy meaning.” says Donal Neary SJ, i in his most recent book of reflections of Luke’s Gospel. Donal is well known as the parish priest of Gardiner Street in Dublin and prolific author who was recently appointed editor of the Messenger. He talks about why he published […]
Posted on 24. Dec, 2015 in Christian Values, Community, Faith and Justice, Prayer, Vocation
Thomas Merton was a writer, mystic, monk, poet, social activist and student of comparative religion. He was fascinated by Eastern Spirituality and met with the Dalia Lama who said he considered himself one of [Thomas Merton’s] Buddhist brothers. John Cooney, journalist and broadcaster has had a long time fascination with Thomas Merton and has written about […]
Posted on 17. Dec, 2015 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Faith Groups, Grief, Pilgrimage, Pope Francis
Fr. Michael McCullagh recently travelled to Rome with the Parish of the Travelling People to meet Pope Francis. It was to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Parish of the Travelling People. Fr. Michael was their first parish priest and their current priest, Fr. Derek Farrell invited him along. The celebration was […]
Posted on 17. Dec, 2015 in Christian Values, Christmas, Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice, Fundraising
Christmas is a time of giving, but sometimes we end up giving presents that people neither need nor want. One way around that is to give someone one of Trócaire Gifts – gifts that are much needed and is in keeping with the true spirit of Christmas. Miriam Gormally met with Éamonn Meehan, Director of […]
Posted on 17. Dec, 2015 in Advent, Christian Values, Christmas, Church Teachings
Advent is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The word Advent means “coming” or arrival and it symbolises the spiritual journey of waiting. It was also traditionally a time of fasting. Prof Siobhán Garrigan, the Loyola Chair of Catholic Theology and Director of the Loyola Institute, […]
Posted on 10. Dec, 2015 in Church Teachings, Community
The Sacred Heart Messenger first appeared on 6 January, 1888 and has been in print continuously ever since. In the first year of its life, promoters of the Messenger carried copies to 9,000 homes throughout Ireland. Today it reaches 70,000 readers each month, which makes the Messenger probably the biggest-selling magazine in the land. Donal Neary […]
Posted on 10. Dec, 2015 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Eastern Spirituality, Education, Faith and Justice, Gospel Values, Vocation
The monk and hermit Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is hard to define. He was a poet, prolific spiritual writer, diarist, jazz buff, pioneer of inter religious dialogue, advocate of radial social reform and precursor of liberation theology. His works were known worldwide. However despite all his productivity, he was a man of inner turmoil, who died […]