Remembering John Hume

Posted on 06. Aug, 2020 in Achievement, Christian Values, Community, Conflict, Death, Gospel Values

John Hume, one of the key architects of the Good Friday Agreement, “never lost faith in peace”, mourners at his funeral have been told. The former SDLP leader and Nobel Prize laureate died on Monday, August the 3rd, aged 83. Due to Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings, there were limited numbers of about one hundred people […]

A Near Death Experience

Posted on 30. Jul, 2020 in Death, Health, Spirituality

Many of us have pondered what lies beyond the pearly gates and what will happen when our time to die arrives. In one of the most popular piece from the archives Leila Merriman shares the extraordinary details of her near death experience while she was very ill with pneumonia. She describes a feeling of elation, […]

Women of the Cross – Veronica

Posted on 14. May, 2020 in Christian Values, Death, Feminism/Women in the Church

We continue our “Women of the Cross” series. This time we are listening to the story of Veronica who was moved by the sight of Christ carrying his cross to Golgotha, gave him her kerchief to wipe his brow, after which he handed it back imprinted with the image of his face. Like the others, she is […]

Loss and Hope

Posted on 02. Apr, 2020 in Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Health, Hospice, Relationships

With the Coronavirus sweeping across the globe, people are more aware of our fragility and loss. In this piece from the archives we look back at “Irish Stories of Loss and Hope” a book published by Hospice Foundation.  They wanted to help show people … “the individual nature of grief, the difficulties that grieving brings and […]

Understanding the Sacrament of the Sick

Posted on 26. Mar, 2020 in Christian Values, Community, Death, Gospel Values, Health

Australian Jesuit Fr Richard Leonard, author of Hatch, Match & Dispatch: A Catholic Guide to Sacraments, talks to Pat Coyle  about the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Pointing to the miracles, he emphasises that Christ’s mission was clearly one of healing with the sacrament as part of the tradition. He notes that the […]

The Mystery of the Soul

Posted on 31. Oct, 2019 in Church Teachings, Community, Death, Saints

In this piece Dermot Roantree, editor with Jesuit communications, talks about the biggest mystery of all – the mystery of death. He explores the days of All Saint and All Souls and says that for some mysteries like death, it may be better that we don’t expect answers, but only ask questions. Drawing on lyrics […]

Ireland’s first Jesuits

Posted on 17. Oct, 2019 in Christian Values, Community, Death, Faith and Justice

A new book of letters by Irish Jesuits in the 17th century shows that although the Jesuits were only few in number at the time, they were making their mark across Ireland. Irish Jesuit Annual Letters, 1604-1674 is edited by Dr Vera Moynes and published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission. The bookcontains the twenty-five 17th century letters […]

Dancing to my Death

Posted on 23. May, 2019 in Cancer, Christian Values, Community, Death, Grief, Health

Dancing to my Death is the title of Daniel O’Leary’s final masterpiece. In it he reveals his dark night of the soul upon hearing his diagnosis of terminal cancer. A well-known priest and teacher, his retreats were always in demand and inspired many people deeply. During his final illness, Daniel examines his faith through a new […]

Stories on the Margins

Posted on 16. May, 2019 in Community, Conflict, Death

What in the World?, an RTE series, is back for a 12th season. In this second part of our two part series, Miriam Gormally talks with Peadar King about telling the stories on the margins. In the first part, he focused on the very complex story of Israel and Palestine. In this part he looks […]

In Memory of Lyra McKee

Posted on 02. May, 2019 in Community, Crime, Death, Young people

The death of Lyra McKee should be the end of all violence in Northern Ireland, so says Don Mullan, author and journalist who grew up only 200 metres away from the street where Lyra was shot. She was killed by indiscriminate fire as she observed clashes between police and New IRA dissidents on the Creggan estate […]