Scorsese’s Silence

Posted on 15. Dec, 2016 in Book Reviews, Charity, Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Eastern Spirituality, Faith and Justice, Film Reviews, Gospel Values

Martin Scorsese considered joining the priesthood before becoming a director and that interest is certainly obviously in Silence, his most theologically dense film yet. James Martin SJ, an advisor on the film said ‘it was like a prayer’. An adaptation of the book by Shūsaku Endō, it follows two 17th century Jesuit priests, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) […]

Trócaire Gifts

Posted on 15. Dec, 2016 in Charity, Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice, Humanitarian Aid

Trócaire gifts bring a welcome antidote to the madness of Christmas excess. Eoghan Rice, Head of Communications at Trócaire talks about how people can give the gift of solar lamps and olive trees instead of buying socks or chocolates that people may not even want. He points out that their Christmas appeal this year is […]

The Paris Agreement – One Year on

Posted on 08. Dec, 2016 in Church Teachings, Ecology, Faith and Justice

  It’s now a year on since the Paris agreement of December 12, 2015. It brought together leaders from all over the world to make a real commitment to limiting climate change. Catherine Devitt, Environmental Justice Officer with the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, wrote about the Paris agreement when it first happened. Here she […]

Belvedere Boy

Posted on 01. Dec, 2016 in Christian Values, Faith and Justice, Gospel Values, Politics

Belvedere Boy is a play about the life and execution of Kevin Barry.  Irish patriot Kevin Barry was eighteen years old when he was executed on November 1st 1920 for his part in an IRA ambush which killed three young British soldiers aged fifteen, nineteen and twenty. In a controversial new play former IRA volunteer Shane Paul O’Doherty tells his version […]

Award for Fr Shay Cullen

Posted on 10. Nov, 2016 in Achievement, Christian Values, Community, Faith and Justice, Gospel Values, Humane Vitae, Young people

Fr Shay Cullen, a Dublin-born Columban Missionary in the Philippines, received the Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award. The ceremony took place on Saturday evening, November 5 at the Killarney Avenue Hotel. Named in memory of Kerry Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who spent much of his youth in Killarney, the award aims to raise awareness of his remarkable […]

Friend of the Poor: Mary Aikenhead

Posted on 10. Nov, 2016 in Charity, Christian Values, Community, Faith and Justice, Feminism/Women in the Church, Vocation, Young people

Friend of the Poor: Mary Aikenhead is a book by Rosaleen Crossan RSC looking at the life of this extraordinary Cork woman who founded The Religious Sisters of Charity. It traces her life and inspiration. Born into incredible wealth and privilege, she decided to abandon all of that and dedicate her life to serving the poor. Last year […]

Welcoming new Jesuit Leader

Posted on 27. Oct, 2016 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice

The new leader of the Jesuits worldwide, Fr Arturo Sosa, is “decisive, visionary and has a great sense of humour,” according to Gerry Whelan SJ, an Irish Jesuit who lectures in the Gregorian Univiersty in Rome. Gerry describes Fr Sosa as a very decisive man, familiar and comfortable with leadership roles. He says he’s not afraid […]

Jesuits elect first non-European leader

Posted on 20. Oct, 2016 in Charity, Christian Values, Church Teachings, Faith and Justice

For the first time, the Jesuits have elected a non-European as their Superior General. The 36th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus has elected Father Arturo Sosa Abascal, of the Venezuelan Province. Father Arturo Sosa was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 12, 1948. He has a Ph.D in Political Science from the Universidad […]

This is Palestine

Posted on 13. Oct, 2016 in Charity, Christian Values, Community, Conflict, Faith and Justice, Humanitarian Aid

“This is Palestine” is a photography exhibition by multi-award-winning producer and director John McColgan, founder of River Dance. He recently travelled to the West Bank and Gaza with Trócaire to document the lives of people trying to live as normally as possible in the midst of military occupation and economic blockade. Miriam Gormally met with […]

A Lutheran look at Mercy

Posted on 13. Oct, 2016 in Charity, Christian Values, Community, Faith and Justice, Gospel Values

Californian Amanda Berg has just completed her training in Spiritual Direction at the Jesuit Manresa Centre of Spirituality in Dublin. As a Lutheran, she warmly welcomes Pope Francis’s declaration of a Year of Mercy. She described Mercy as “underserved forgiveness” and says that it is a real gift; something that we’ve “always needed” in our […]