Travels in Pakistan

Posted on 10. Sep, 2020 in Community, Poverty, Schools

Retired, widowed and open to new challenges is how Beth Nunan would describe herself.  When her husband was dead two years a friend suggested that she should ‘do something’ – so she did.  She travelled to Pakistan to help with a teaching programme and then she did it again and again. It’s a story of […]

The Immigrant’s Dilemma

Posted on 01. Aug, 2019 in Charity, Church Teachings, Community, Discrimination, Faith and Justice, Poverty

Every year in August, we share some of our archive pieces. This year our pieces come from 2007. Here is a piece that is still pertinent for today – being an immigrant. How many of us ever stop to think about what it really must be like to land in a strange country, knowing no-one […]

Pope Francis’ visit to the Homeless

Posted on 20. Sep, 2018 in Charity, Church Teachings, Economy, Fundraising, Pope Francis, Poverty, Refugees, Young people

When Pope Francis was in Ireland, he visited many state dignitaries and leaders. However Fr. Bryan Shortall, a parish priest and Capuchin, says that was inspires Francis most is visiting people on the margin. When he was in Ireland he came to visit the Capuchin Day Care Centre in Dublin. Fr Bryan says that their […]

Child Poverty

Posted on 09. Aug, 2018 in Faith and Justice, Poverty

In this piece from 2005, we looked at some shocking statistics released by Bernardos revealing that one in seven Irish children live in poverty.  Ian Poulton met with Archbishop Robin Eames at Dromintine in Armagh at the Child Poverty Forum and talked about what can be done about this problem and the role that Christians have […]

Solving Inequality

Posted on 19. Jan, 2017 in Economy, Politics, Poverty

Eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorer half of the world’s population, according to a new report published by Oxfam. ‘An Economy for the 99 Percent’ shows that the gap between rich and poor is far greater than had been thought thanks to new and better […]

Climbing Everest

Posted on 18. Aug, 2016 in Charity, Nature, Poverty

Our last piece from 2008 looks at the efforts of Graham Kinch and Ian Taylor and their desire to climb mountains and help others. Graham Kinch and Ian Taylor first met at a Summer Scripture Camp when they were schoolboys.  Their love of mountains reunited them in later life and they now use that passion […]

The search for Refuge

Posted on 28. Apr, 2016 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice, Humanitarian Aid, Poverty, Refugees

The ormer chairperson of the Working Group on the Protection Process for asylum seekers, retired Judge Bryan McMahon, expressed disappointment at the slow rate of change in direct provision. He looked at the failure to  resource key recommendations over the past 10 months. Speaking at the launch of ‘The Search for Refuge’, the May 2016 […]

Asylum seekers in Ireland

Posted on 24. Mar, 2016 in Community, Easter, Family, Gospel Values, Poverty, Refugees, Seasons of the Church Year

40% of asylum seekers living in Direct Provision have been waiting 5 years or more for a final decision to be reached on their claim for protection. JRS Ireland is working to secure durable solutions for these asylum seekers and their families. Miriam Gormally spoke with David Moriarity, policy and advocacy officer with JRS, about how […]

Chaplain In Wheatfield Prison

Posted on 24. Mar, 2016 in Chaplaincy, Christian Values, Community, Crime, Education, Holy Week, Places of Conflict, Poverty, Prison, Rehabilitation, Seasons of the Church Year

A recent article in the Irish Times featured an interview with Stephen Plunkett, chief executive of U-Casadh, a programme aimed at rehabilitating prisoners. In it he says that the vast majority of prisoners are not violent and shouldn’t be locked up but rather rehabilitated. The Easter Christian message in particular reminds us of the respect […]

Refuges in Iraq

Posted on 11. Jun, 2015 in Christian Values, Conflict, Poverty, Refugees

A former assistant Provincial of Slovakia felt like he was going to a sure death when he was asked to go to refugee camps in Iraq, a country largely dominated by the Islamic extremist group ISIS. Peter Gerasak SJ eventually made the decision to go when he asked himself, ‘If my family was from Iraq, would I […]