Communion Consumption

Posted on 16. May, 2019 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Confirmation, First Communion

Communions are taking place all over the country and children everywhere are getting ready for this exciting event. But is consumption around these celebrations of the sacraments getting out of hand? Miriam Gormally spoke with Fr Michael Collins about the amount of money that can be involved and whether there could be a way to […]

Promoting Vocations

Posted on 09. May, 2019 in Church of Ireland, Church Teachings, Community, Education, Vocation

Bishop Michael Burrows chairs the Church of Ireland’s Commission on Ministry, which will be organising a Vocations Sunday across the Church this autumn (15th September).  In this interview with Peter Cheney, he discusses how people sense a call into ordained ministry and the main themes of his committee’s current work as General Synod approaches.  The […]

A Mother’s Embrace

Posted on 09. May, 2019 in Music

We have a piece of music this week from Tom Phelan, a Jesuit performing with the Martin Healy Trad band, titled A Mother’s Embrace, celebrating the life of his mother.

Exploring the Labyrinth

Posted on 02. May, 2019 in Christian Values, Community, Environment, Gospel Values, Nature

Piaras Jackson SJ, director of Manresa Jesuit Centre of Spirituality in Dublin talks about World Labyrinth Day on Saturday, 4 May 2019. He describes the centre’s own labyrinth next to the coastline, among mature trees and in grassland that becomes a meadow in the summer. He also gives a brief history of labyrinths and points […]

Music: Queen of the May

Posted on 02. May, 2019 in Music

For the first week in May our music piece this week is Queen of the May, sung by the Palestrina Choir.  It is available on their album The Bells of the Angelus.

Music for Eastertide

Posted on 25. Apr, 2019 in Community, Easter, Music

Singer, songwriter and composer, Eamon Keane is also a counsellor. He comes from an artistic family — actor father, Eamonn, musician mother, Maura Hassett, journalist brother, Fergal, playwright uncle, John B — and his talents are eclectic. Classically trained as a pianist, his music is wide ranging. He also believes that spirit is very important in […]

Contemplating Holy Week

Posted on 18. Apr, 2019 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Conflict, Easter, Holy Week, Liturgy, Seasons of the Church Year, Vocation

What’s the first thing you would do if you were betrayed by your closest friends, asks Paddy Greene SJ to his trainees. Well if your Jesus, he says, you put your arms around them. Here he looks at how Jesus must have felt when his teachings of universal love where being challenged by Church officials. […]

Spirituality for Professionals

Posted on 18. Apr, 2019 in Christian Values, Community, Faith and Justice, Retreats, Spiritual, Vocation

The first ever international conference on ‘Spirituality in Society and the Professions‘ will take place in the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), May 16-18, 2019 in Waterford, Ireland. The conference has attracted speakers from various parts of the USA, Australia, mainland Europe, UK, and Ireland. It is a collaboration between WIT and the Spirituality Institute for […]

Reflection on Church leadership

Posted on 11. Apr, 2019 in Achievement, Christian Values, Church of Ireland, Community, Vocation

Christian Leadership is different to other types of leadership, so say Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Ken Good. It is a leadership that is focused, not merely on personal power, but on bringing about, through prayer and reflection, God’s vision for this world. Due to retire at the end of May, Bishop Good shares the highs […]

The Hero’s Journey

Posted on 11. Apr, 2019 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice, Gospel Values, Vocation

‘The hero’ was the title of a workshop led recently by education consultant David Tuohy SJ for chaplains and others who work with young people. David proposed ‘the heroic journey’ as a model of personal development, one that could provide both young people and their mentors with a positive and clear narrative. The workshop was part […]