‘Young religious couples will be our only hope’
The Irish Catholic
by Garry O'Sullivan
18h ago
Ireland’s coming population crisis will not be solved by secular people new study claims Young people who embrace religions like Christianity that strongly value marriage and having children will form the future core of Ireland’s dwindling population as their secular counterparts are less likely to marry and have children, the Iona Institute has said. Ireland’s fertility rate is just 1.5, below the replacement level of 2.1 and projected by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to fall further as marriages decline and couples, if they marry, get married later. In a research paper released this w ..read more
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Parishioners talk tradition on St Blaise Feast Day
The Irish Catholic
by Renata Steffens
18h ago
On Monday, February 3 the Feast of St Blaise was celebrated, patron of throat illnesses, animals, wool combers and wool trading. In Ireland it was also the bank holiday for St Brigid. Parishioners gathered in St Canice’s Church, Finglas Parish for 10am Mass and blessing of the throats afterwards. Laura Maguire, a parishioner from Ballymun attending Mass told The Irish Catholic she thinks it is very important to keep alive Catholic traditions such as St Brigid’s Cross making and the blessing of throats. “Especially in this day and age, we need to go back to the old traditions. Don’t fix what i ..read more
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Irish healthcare attacks human dignity says Bishop Router
The Irish Catholic
by Renata Milán Morales
18h ago
Bishop Michael Router, Chair of the Irish Bishops’ Conference Council for Healthcare, has expressed his support for Pope Francis’ message for the 33rd World Day of the Sick, to be celebrated on February 11. In his message, the Pope encourages the faithful to offer presence and care to those suffering. Bishop Router has commented on this idea, adding that “the presence of caregivers, medical professionals, family members, or friends, is a tangible expression of God’s love for those who are sick.” Bishop Router has also voiced his concerns over what he sees as an attack to human dignity in Iris ..read more
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Lessons from storms need to be learnt says Knock priest
The Irish Catholic
by Renata Steffens
18h ago
Almost two weeks into the aftermath of Storm Éowyn the country is still recovering. Fr Richard Gibbons PP and Rector of Knock Shrine said there are still people out there without power and people still need to “keep an eye and keep watch.” With all the work being done to recover “shredded” cables and transformers, Fr Gibbons believes the storm resulted in “an awful lot of lessons that need to be learned for the next time that this happens.” After the storm left many households without power, heat and water, the Parish of Knock opened the doors of St John’s Rest Care Centre to those in need of ..read more
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Storm hit priest writes letter to God to restore power and water
The Irish Catholic
by Staff Reporter
18h ago
A west of Ireland parish priest has written a letter to God to restore the power and water to his cold and weary parishioners who have had to face hardship in the face of the aftermath of the January storms. Writing from Parochial House, Lisdoonvarna, Fr Robert McNamara read the letter at Sunday Masses.  It began: “Dear Lord, the power is gone, the heat is gone, and I’m under the duvet reading John B. Keane’s letters with the light of a battery-operated torch. Thank God for Dolly’s shop! John B. Keane put it into my head to drop you a line myself. “These days of –hopefully- spring, we ar ..read more
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Reggae gets religious with British sisters
The Irish Catholic
by Chai Brady
18h ago
A group of sisters in England have teamed up with two Christian musicians to produce a ‘reggae-pop’ version of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 hymn. A music video of the cover of the song was posted on YouTube by the two-piece band Ooberfuse on the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, February 2. They collaborated with the Community of our Lady of Walsingham. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, appears at the beginning of the video saying said: “I want to introduce you to this beautiful rendition of the Jubilee Year’s anthem. It’s going be heard all ..read more
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St Pauls to open two new bookstores in Derry and Letterkenny
The Irish Catholic
by Renata Milán Morales
18h ago
St Pauls, an international religious bookstore chain, is set to open two new branches in Ireland. One store will be located in Derry, and the other in Letterkenny, counties that have been seeking a replacement since the closure of Veritas. The opening of the two stores is especially meaningful for the people of Letterkenny, as the former Veritas location was not just a place to purchase religious items – you could also find a small chapel and relics for visitors to pray inside the shop. The closure of Veritas left many wondering whether any company would step in to fill that gap in the local ..read more
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Dioceses discuss priests’ work-life balance in Co. Clare
The Irish Catholic
by Renata Steffens
18h ago
The third annual gathering of the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora and Diocese of Clonfert recently took place in Spanish Point, Co. Clare. Over 60 people from both dioceses took part in the event facilitated by Nicola Mitchell from the Knock Shrine Development Office. The gathering was divided in three sessions over two days. This is the first year that all clergy from both dioceses participated along with diocesan staff. In the session led by Fr Hugh Lagan SMA, he gave a “very valuable input on how priests can thrive and flourish mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually ..read more
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Bishop Barron applauds Trump’s order banning minors’ sex-change surgeries
The Irish Catholic
by admin
18h ago
Madalaine Elhabbal / CNA Bishop Robert Barron has released a statement commending President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning federal funding for “transgender” medical interventions for minors. “I welcome the president’s executive order,” Bishop Barron said in a statement in his capacity as chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth. “So many young people who have been victims of this ideological crusade have profound regrets over its life-altering consequences, such as infertility and lifelong depend ..read more
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The heart’s true depth beyond roses and romance
The Irish Catholic
by Fr Barry White
18h ago
Allow our hearts to be transformed on St Valentine’s day, says Fr Barry White   As St Valentine’s Day approaches, February 14 brings to mind red roses, love hearts, chocolates, candlelit dinner for two and couples escaping on weekend city trips. Meanwhile, those of us who are celibate quietly mark the feast of Sts Cyril and Methodius. Love, in all its facets, takes centre stage - songs, poems, sitcoms, and reality shows attempt to capture its dizzying highs and devastating lows. From unrequited love to heartbreak, from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Ross and Rachel in Friends, the emo ..read more
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