Posted on 15. Oct, 2008 in Church of Ireland, Church Teachings, Community, Family
Norma Macmaster is now a Church of Ireland priest in Skerries, Co. Dublin but she grew up in the 50s in Balieborough, Co. Cavan. It was an Ireland familiar to many at that time – secure family environment, feeling safe, content and leaving all worries to the adults. But her life was somewhat different – […]
Posted on 15. Oct, 2008 in Economy, Faith and Justice, Family
As we all struggle to come to terms with the Budget fall-out and its implications, how can families cope with increased financial demands at a time when social and religious changes have already put them under great pressure? Fr. Harry Bohan is founder of The Ceifin Centre in Co. Clare and Eileen Good phoned him […]
Posted on 12. Oct, 2008 in Family, Grief
November is a month when we remember the bereaved and think of those who have suffered loss. And while loss is something that we all have to deal with, unnatural loss, when people die before their time can be the hardest to accept. Dr. Anne Tracey, psychologist and author of the book, Surviving the Early […]
Posted on 01. Oct, 2008 in Church Teachings, Faith and Justice, Family
Earlier this year in a series in the Messenger, called ‘Passing on the Faith’ Michael Paul Gallagher S.J. noted that….”Faith in the future will need to be more mature to survive in a more complex culture, just as a plant in the ground can weather storms only if its roots are firm and strong.” Eileen […]
Posted on 09. Jul, 2008 in Depression, Family, Mental Health, Suicide
Suicide numbers, sadly, continue to rise in Ireland. As this happens, family and friends struggle to find ways to cope with the tragedy and also how to have a meaningful liturgy. Mary Connell is Pastoral Co-Ordinator in Castlebar where the Parish Team is devising a new Liturgy to help those bereaved by suicide. She told […]
Posted on 10. Jun, 2008 in Church Teachings, Family
Last year over 5,000 grandparents attended the first ever National Grandparents Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine – this year that number was doubled. The brainchild of returned Castlebar woman Catherine Wiley, the pilgrimage aims to give a voice to this most valued group of people in every community. Catherine herself has ten grandchildren and feels very […]
Posted on 16. Apr, 2008 in Confirmation, Family, First Communion, Poverty, Religious teaching
We are now in Communion and Confirmation season, celebrations that are becoming more and more extravagant. Fake tans and limos are now almost the norm. However amongst this excess there are still people for whom these events are a huge financial burden. Miriam Gormally asked Mairead Bushnell from the Vincent de Paul about the help […]
Posted on 05. Mar, 2008 in Community, Discrimination, Family
In 2007, the HSE’s dedicated elder abuse officers dealt with 927 cases of Elder Abuse. Age Action has confirmed that the main abuser is often a family member, and that the vast majority of older people are abused in their own homes. Eileen Good asked Eamon Timmons of Age Action about these findings and first […]
Posted on 12. Dec, 2007 in Advent, Family, Feminism/Women in the Church, Seasons of the Church Year
The story of Advent is the story of a woman waiting to give birth. Here Hilary Lyons tells an extraordinary story of another woman who waited many years to give birth.
Posted on 12. Dec, 2007 in Christmas, Crime, Family, Relationships, Seasons of the Church Year
The general perception of Christmas is as a time of great joy and happiness. It is a time for celebration and for connecting with friends and family. However there is a darker side to Christmas. It is often one of the most stressful times of the year with more family rows than usual. In fact […]