Celebrating Gonzaga

Posted on 19. Jun, 2014 in Church Teachings, Uncategorized

Gonzaga is well known as a school, but not many know the man Aloysius Gonzaga. He is the patron saint of young people around the world and in the US of people with HIV Aids. His feast day is on June 21st and Barney McGuckian SJ has just brought out a DVD about him. Here […]

Salve Regina

Posted on 19. Jun, 2014 in Music, Uncategorized

And now for a piece of music. Domina Candelarium is a new Catholic music band. The band is composed of brothers Alejandro and Sebastian Pastorini. Previously they have composed instrumental music (in the band Subtle Spheres) but now in this new project will put new music to the Latin prayers of the Catholic liturgy. Salve Regina […]

Sexual formation for celibacy

Posted on 12. Jun, 2014 in Celibacy/Sexuality

Last week we spoke with Fr John Guiney SJ who questioned the need for celibacy. This week we hear from Kevin O’Rourke who writes about and leads workshops on being a sexually healthy celibate. He talks about how it’s important to prepare for a life of celibacy. Here he talks with Pat Coyle about how celibacy […]

Bikers on a Mission

Posted on 12. Jun, 2014 in Uncategorized

  Last March we reported on Linda Chambers plan to go barefoot during Holy Week. Linda is Director of the United Society in Ireland and she wanted to draw attention to the plight of people in Swaziland, a tiny African kingdom surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. The United Society is an Anglican organisation that […]

The end of All Hallows

Posted on 12. Jun, 2014 in Education, Uncategorized

 All Hallows, a college which was set up in 1842 as a seminary, is to close.  Miriam Gormally met with Carolanne Henry the Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations Marketing said that the decision was made with  “with huge regret and deep sadness”. She added that “the college, which is not in receipt of State grants […]

Rethinking Mandatory Celibacy

Posted on 05. Jun, 2014 in Celibacy/Sexuality, Church Teachings

Twenty-six Italian women who claim to be having affairs with a priest have written to Pope Francis asking him to lift the Catholic clergy’s vow of celibacy. They say they are being forced to “live in silence” and would like to live their love fully. Mandatory celibacy for priests has long been a controversial issue. […]

War’s End

Posted on 05. Jun, 2014 in Christian Values, Conflict, Death

In his book “War’s End”, Séamus Murphy SJ, associate professor in the Philosophy Department at Loyola University, Chicago looks at the rights and wrongs of war. Is there ever a justified war? What is the Christian view of war? Is war a necessary evil or is it something that society can move beyond? Talking with Pat […]

Stopping Child Abuse

Posted on 05. Jun, 2014 in Human Trafficking, Rehabilitation

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a registered child protection charity which works across the UK to prevent child sexual abuse. It runs many projects, including Stop It Now! UK and Ireland and Parents Protect!. Michael Sheath, a member of the team was in Ireland recently speaking about Child Sexual Abuse and the internet. Did you […]

The New Homeless

Posted on 29. May, 2014 in Church Teachings, Homelessness, Uncategorized

We often have a very stereotypical view of homeless people as drug addicts or alcoholics, what Fr. Peter McVerry SJ calls the “visible homeless”. However there are lots of people who fall into the homeless category and in recent times there has been an increase in the new homeless, people without any major social or […]

Papal visit to Holy Land

Posted on 29. May, 2014 in Faith and Justice, Gospel Values, Humanitarian Aid, Places of Conflict

Pope Francis said goodbye to Israel last Monday evening after an historic three-day visit to the Holy Land. He earned new fans and amazed politicians with his unprecedented invitation for a peace prayer summit in Rome. He was the first pontiff to fly directly into the West Bank and to refer to the Israeli-occupied territory […]