“Come and See” (Jn 1:46). Communicating by Encountering People as They Are Every year on the Sunday before Pentecost the Church celebrates the achievements of the communications media and focuses of how it can best use them to promote gospel values.  This year, the 55th World Day of Communications takes place on the 16th May 2021 On Saturday, 23rd January ...

WORLD DAY FOR CONSECRATED LIFE – February 2nd, 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul declaring the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple as World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. St. John Paul II established the World Day for Consecrated Life in 1997 to be celebrated in conjunction with the feast of the ...

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU 2021) is traditionally observed annually from 18 – 25 January.  However, in the southern hemisphere, where January is a vacation time, churches find another time during the year to celebrate it, for example around Pentecost which is also a symbolic time for the unity of the Church.  The theme for this year ...

Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan) ‘Women’s Christmas’), also known as Old Christmas, is one of the traditional names among Irish Christians and Amish Christians for 6 January, which is also known more widely as the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated after the conclusion of the twelve days of Christmastide. Owing to differences in liturgical calendars, as early as the ...

A peaceful silent vigil before the crib each day brings revelations far beyond the scene itself.  A deeper understanding of who this Child is for us.  I glimpse the Magi on their journey, coming in the distance, still following in the light-filled footsteps of expectation; of both welcoming and exchanging heart to heart with the Christ Child who has made ...

Mount Saint Anne’s Retreat and Conference Centre is offering the following Spring Schedule of Zoom Courses through from February to the end of March 2021. A new year  and the opportunity to support, strengthen and  recharge our mind, heart and soul so that we can reach out with hope and joy, and begin to recognise and welcome the new, seeing ...

When Pope Francis announced the Year of St. Joseph on the 8th December, he also gave us a new prayer. May it be our prayer in the coming year and beyond as we discover St. Joseph a true father to us. Every day for 40 years, Pope Francis has challenged St Joseph. After saying Morning Prayer, Pope Francis writes in Patris ...

Making my way to work these days takes me through ancient, weathered countryside.  It has been trod by generations before me as far back as I can remember.  I know this place inside out  – or so I thought. Then, a change of season and the start of Advent, and some sudden subtle change of light and shadow on the ...

In December 2019 Victoria Pearson initially penned this inspiring piece on ‘How four Cork women sparked a social revolution on Christmas Eve 1775’.  The four women in the article are: Nano Nagle, Mary Fouhy, Elizabeth Burke and Mary Ann Collins.  In Victoria’s words they: “ … were driven by a progressive and ambitious missionary devotion to educate Cork city’s Catholic poor. ...

This year is like no other. Even before COVID-19 hit, violence against women and girls had reached pandemic proportions. Globally, 243 million women and girls were abused by an intimate partner in the past year. Meanwhile, less than 40 per cent of women who experience violence report it or seek help. As countries implemented lockdown measures to stop the spread ...