The post Austen Ivereigh Public Talk on Pope Francis – Fri 26 April @ 7.00pm in Gardiner St Church, Dublin 1 appeared first on Association Of Catholic Priests ..read more

Like branches of one tree, we are held together by our faith in Christ. Because we are all part of this one living plant, we come together in thanksgiving and praise. Alternative Opening Prayer (from 1998 ICEL Missal) O God, you graft us onto Christ, the true vine, and, with tireless care, you nurture our growth in knowledge and reverence. Tend the vineyard of your Church, that in Christ each branch may bring forth to the glory of your name abundant fruits of faith and love. Grant this through Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy S ..read more

Note: The seminar on Healing the Family Tree scheduled for Friday May 17th in Lady’s Island is fully booked with a waiting list. Another is planned for Saturday June 15th and bookings can be made on 087-7640407. There is also one scheduled with the same focus for Saturday May 4th from 10am to 4pm in the Dominican Retreat House Tallaght. Bookings for that are through Retreat House Tallaght on 01-4048189. Tue April 23rd – Living the Christian Life Recently someone asked a very searching and far-reaching question. How can I live the Gospel message within the context of my quite limited life? The ..read more

The Catholic Herald Link: https://catholicherald.co.uk/new-catholic-lectionary-for-british-churches-approved-by-vatican/?swcfpc=1 April 18, 2024 at 8:30 am A new Lectionary will come into use in parishes in England, Wales and Scotland from Advent 2024. The Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments gave its  seal of approval  on a new Lectionary proposed by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales in July of last year. Published by the Catholic Truth Society (CTS), changes to the new lectionary, which includes the scripture readings fo ..read more

The names of the months of the year are in themselves evocative of mood, climate, event and experience. Yet depending on where you live on our planet, the same month can have diametrically opposite associations. One of my favourite Simon and Garfunkel tracks from the 60s has to be “April, come she will”, a simple four line, three verse song, whose lyrics are sung against the background of a single guitar. Quite beautiful. A Northern hemisphere song that traces a relationship through from April  – “come she will, when streams are ripe and swelled with rain”, through the ..read more

Pen Pal I lived a lot in my head, as a lad. Like, I was the last in the –  brothers and sisters well ahead of me.  They were stretching their wings  while I was still in the nest – if – if y’know what I mean… I didn’t know them. I didn’t really know them. And my Dad was away a lot and my mother  working the pub during the war years, trying to make ends meet. So I – I lived in a world of me own…  Well, like, you won’t believe this but I used to write letters. To, to the Little Flower. ‘God’s truth. Saint Teresa of, of Lisieux. ‘Every few nights. Two, three pages. With t ..read more

Around 1,400 people from all over the world are expected to gather online to put synodal methodology into practice, with a focus on the participation of women in a synodal Church. By Francesca Merlo Around 1,400 people are due to gather online, from all over the world, on 23 April, to prepare for the second session of the Assembly of the Synod on Synodality to be held in Rome in October this year. The event In a press release dated 15 April, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) writes that the online event, “Conversations in the Spirit”, organised in collaboration with its ..read more

DEMOCRACY MATTERS: On Tuesday 9th April 2024, the Dáil assembled to elect a new Taoiseach. There were many speeches. Leo Varadkar spoke in his farewell words as Taoiseach and did it well. But some speakers lacked dignity or respect for this solemn occasion. Democracy exemplifies this in the peaceful handover of leadership, and Tuesday was a very precious day. It was sacred. We can agree or disagree with the change of cast. We can quibble over how it all happens. But respect is essential. I think there is something almost transcendent about such an event. Simon Harris had become the leader of F ..read more

Link to full article: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/i-came-out-suicidal-the-women-speaking-out-after-leaving-opus-dei/a576273725.html ‘I came out suicidal’: the women speaking out after leaving Opus Dei The Catholic organisation has been called a cult that exploits women. After a high-profile former Irish member shared a troubling account of her experience, Sarah Mac Donald hears that recent accusations are ‘the tip of the iceberg’ Claims of exploitation: Anne Marie Allen, who was a prison governor ‘I’ve been a lone voice in the wilderness’: Eileen Johnson hopes more former members o ..read more

Dear Representatives, Thank you to all those who made a submission in response to the next stage of the Universal Synod. The writing group from the Irish Synodal Pathway spent time over Holy Week and early Easter reflecting on all the submissions received and gathered at the National Shrine to Our Lady in Knock last Thursday and Friday to prepare the emerging themes. If you would like to be part of this ongoing process you can pre-register for the online meeting, which is taking place on Monday, 29 April from 7pm until 9pm. The pre-registration link is here: https://forms.gle/BwduPE4GtZKa ..read more