First Confession Time

Posted on 07. Feb, 2007 in Church Teachings, Faith and Justice, Religious teaching, Schools

Throughout the country 2nd class pupils are being prepared for the Sacrament of Reconciliation  –  or First Confession as it is still commonly called. Maeve Mahon is co-author with Martin Delaney of Do this is Memory of Me providing preparatory material on the sacrament and she told Eileen Good how children today are prepared for […]

Canon John Hayes

Posted on 07. Feb, 2007 in Church of Ireland, Faith and Justice, Vocation

The 50th anniversary of the death of Canon Hayes is currently being commemorated at Bansha, Co. Tipperary.  A man of vision and probably ahead of his time, Canon Hayes is probably best remembered for his role in rural electrification and most notably as founder of Muintir na Tire.  Martin Quinn from Bansha, one of the […]

Older and Bolder

Posted on 24. Jan, 2007 in Discrimination, Economy, Faith and Justice

We are all ageing, so the welfare of older people should be of utmost importance to everybody.  Older & Bolder is a campaign which aims to make the voices of older people heard and to force the government to adopt a strategy that is will end discrimination against older people, – ultimately making ageism unacceptable.  […]

Foróige

Posted on 24. Jan, 2007 in Discrimination, Faith and Justice, Relationships, Young people

Foróige is an organisation, which seeks to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their own development and the development of society.  Manus Moynihan is Garda youth diversion co-ordinator with the Dán project, one of the Foróige projects.  Manus in particular works with teenagers who would be at risk of getting involved […]

Love is….

Posted on 24. Jan, 2007 in Faith and Justice, Relationships, Spirituality

We’re already heading into the hearts / chocolates /roses/balloons/teddy bears season  –  yes, Valentine’s Day with all its commercial madness is almost upon us and we are being lured into believing that we can only show love or be loved by purchasing the trappings being offered.  But there is another way  –  Christine Clear is […]

La Féile Bríde

Posted on 24. Jan, 2007 in Church Teachings, Faith and Justice, Feminism/Women in the Church, Festivals, Saints, St. Brigid

Most people know that the 1st of February is St. Brigid’s day.  But this year is particularly special because it is also the 200th anniversary of the Brigidine Sisters.  Together with Afri they will be organising Féile Bríde, seeding a new springtime, a week-long series of workshops which will celebrate the coming of spring and […]

Church of Ireland New Primate Alan Harper

Posted on 24. Jan, 2007 in Church of Ireland, Church Teachings, Faith and Justice, Vocation

The Rt. Rev. Alan Harper, Bishop of Connor, has been elected Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland by the House of Bishops of the Church of Ireland, to succeed Archbishop Robin Eames, who retired at the end of 2006 after more than 20 years as Primate. Making the announcement in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, […]

Aminah’s Waiting

Posted on 10. Jan, 2007 in Charity, Community, Faith and Justice, Poverty, War / Civil Unrest

Aminah is from Uganda and has been in Ireland for just over 2 years.  Her story probably reflects the story of many immigrants to Ireland trying to get started on a new life, but forced to wait for official recognition and status.  She is supported in Limerick by Doras Luimni, an organisation promoting equality and […]

Burmese Refugee Camps

Posted on 10. Jan, 2007 in Community, Faith and Justice, Humanitarian Aid

For more than five decades, Burma has been entrenched in political and armed conflict between the government and ethnic groups. This conflict has been characterized by massive human rights abuses including persecution, torture, widespread rape and forced labour.  Hundreds of thousands of Burmese belonging to ethnic minority groups have fled to neighbouring countries in search […]

Parish Life – In Trinidad

Posted on 10. Jan, 2007 in Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice, Relationships

Pat Elie is from Trinidad, where she is very involved in the day-to-day life of her parish. She was in Limerick recently at a Lectio Divina Conference where she told Eileen Good about her parish involvement at home and how people there need to be active parishioners in order to preserve parish life.