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We reach the final day of the octave of prayer for Christian Unity (18 to 25 January 2023). The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) is celebrated, as an ecumenical initiative in which Christians from all over the world belonging to different traditions and confessions, gather spiritually in prayer for the unity of the Church.  The theme of this ...

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) is traditionally celebrated between January 18 and January 25 – originally the octave of St Peter and St Paul. ‘Be-Longing: Praying for Unity amidst Injustice’ is the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) 2023. “As we join with other Christians around the world for this year’s Week of ...

From the December 7th to 19th, scientists, rights advocates and delegates from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Canada to tackle one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues: the loss of biodiversity and what can be done to reverse it. For years, experts have sounded the alarm over how climate change and other factors are leading to an “unprecedented” ...

As we progress through the 16-day campaign focus on activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November to 10 December) – “UNITE to end violence against women” is the theme for this year.  This focus serves also as a reminder that: “We must talk about the scourge of gender-based violence against women every day of the year, not just on 25 November. ...

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence is an annual international campaign that that has started on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day indicating that violence against women is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide.  An opportunity to ‘Unite to Orange the  World’. ...

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple takes place on 21st November each year.  This is a Feast that is celebrated with great joy throughout the world, wherever there are Presentation people. The content of this year’s novena has been prepared by Sisters Mary Kealy, Lois Greene, Prema Antony and Sheila Reen who have put together these ...

I was at a recent funeral of a friend of mine who was an avid fan of the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh.  But more than that, a person who saw in Patrick Kavanagh the life of the farmer, poet and mystic completely intertwined. Someone who communed so readily with God through Nature, and who through his words could open this ...

We prepare to mark the 6th World Day of the Poor on Sunday, 13th November (a Day established by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter “Misericordia et Miser” in 2016, to celebrate the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy). This day has been an important focus point for advocacy and action every year since then. Its aim after all is ...

From 6 to 18 November 2022, the governments who are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will convene in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the conference widely known as “COP27.” Sharm el-Sheikh sits on the Sinai Peninsula, the land held sacred by followers of Abrahamic religions as the place where God appeared to Moses and called him to ...

Ireland’s second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and other members of the government, including the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in Dublin on Wednesday, October 5.   The SDGs are the agreed roadmap to a “fairer, safer world”.  The Sustainable Development Goals challenge us to change the way ...