Catholics in Ireland are now faced with so many challenges to their Faith, that it is sometimes said “Why be so concerned if everything is not exactly right in our liturgy – there are more important things going on in the Church.  As long as people are still going to Mass what does it matter?”      In the attempt to reply to this, let us confine ourselves to a few points that are so fundamental in that no discussion … Read More

Anno Brandsma was born to Tjitsje and Titus Brandsma on February 23rd,1881, at Wondseradeel in Friesland, Holland. He was the second youngest in a family of six, four girls and two boys. Five of the six would later enter religious life. He received his secondary education at a Franciscan school but attracted by the Carmelite Order’s devotion to Mary Mother of God and their prayer spirituality, he opted to pursue his priestly vocation with them. After Joining the Carmelite order, … Read More

John D. Sheridan was known to older generations of Catholics for the many writings that spanned the years from the 1940s to the 1970s.  In “The Hungry Sheep” his analysis of changes brought to Ireland in the wake of the Second Vatican Council are deeply insightful. If this book had been widely read by Catholics at the time, it is likely that lay people would have been alerted and prepared for what was to come. They would also have had … Read More

A major factor considered by ‘Western’ Governments in responding to the Russian attack on Ukraine has been the question of whether this or that type of action would hurt the ‘West’ more than it would hurt Russia. Seemingly that has been considered primarily with regard to stopping importation of Russian gas and oil. The Ukrainians’ top priority is to defeat the invasion, and they point out that it is being financed from the proceeds of gas and oil sales. The … Read More

On the night before he died, in referring to himself as the “true vine” Jesus was using a potent image. Vines were familiar to the apostles as part of their lives but they had also learned in scripture about the false vines of the past. The Old Testament recounts tales of Israel like a vine that had been planted and looked after by God but due to the people’s infidelity, the vine failed to deliver its fruit and became corrupt. … Read More

INFAMOUS for the ridiculous, mothers can often be heard saying “There’s enough dirt in those ears to grow spuds,” or “Close that door. You’d think you were born in a field.” And they’re also partial to claiming the down-right-impossible: “If you fall of that wall and break your legs – don’t come running to me.” Yet, few would doubt a mother’s well-meaning intent. They are the ones who love us when the rest of the world doesn’t. The ones we … Read More

Attempting to deal with the perennial problem of passing the Faith on to the next generation engages many of us and taxes our own creativity to the utmost.  It has been said that it is much harder to bring the new evangelization to a Christian nation than to those people who have never heard of Christianity. What about our country? The deeply held belief that Ireland is still fervently Catholic can be reinforced when we see the crowds at pilgrim … Read More

St Benedict lived at a crossroads in the history of Europe, at the beginning of the so-called dark ages, yet shines as a light for our faith and for European culture over a thousand years later. This saint has had a profound impact on the religious and monastic life in the west like no other, and consequently on the whole culture of our continent. Pope Paul VI declared St Benedict to be a principal patron of Europe in a beautiful … Read More

Only a society which has embraced relativism could possibly accept works of art such as bunny rabbits and basketfuls of eggs displayed in our churches during the Easter season. According to the creed of relativism, each church is entitled to decorate the sacred space in an individual way and in whatever manner is deemed “meaningful” for the people.  Of course “meaningful” only really applies to those in charge of liturgy whether they are the members of the liturgy group, the … Read More

The Eagle, the king among the birds of the air as the lion is king among the beasts of the earth, graces more than a few pages of the Sacred Scriptures. The swiftness and height of the eagle’s flight is often referenced by the Sacred Authors. Sometimes the eagle represents sin, death and destruction. Other times he represents the love of God for his people, and the saints for God. As the eagle is the king of birds, it is … Read More