James Mackey and Enda McDonagh edit this collection of essays to commemorate the 75th birthday of Garret Fitzgerald. The essays are on contemporary issues relating to church and state in Ireland, and the authors include Geraldine Smyth, Patrick Hannon and Dermot Lane.

Carmel Wynne warns that the problem of teenage drinking is exacerbated by the bad example of adults and by peer pressure, and she insists that this matter should be taken very seriously.

Mary Gaffney recalls the life of Msgr. Hugh O’Flaherty, the Irish priest who became known as the ‘Vatican Pimpernel’ for his remarkable work in saving thousands of Jews and Allied soldiers from the hands of the Nazis.

Sean O’Conaill draws attention to Christ’s stress on the importance of the individual, but he warns that this is radically different from present-day individualism. Instead, it is an invitation to join Christ on his “downward journey”.

Bill Long remembers spending Christmas with his friend Thomas Merton at the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane, Kentucky.

The transcript of a 3R Productions Radio programme recounting the Pope’s visit to Ireland in September 1979.

Nurturing Children’s Religious Imagination is aimed at primary school teachers, parents and others as they set about responding to the challenges of religious education in the twenty-first century It is edited by Raymond Topley and Gareth Byrne.

Pat Connor explains how SVD and SSpS missionaries are working through VIVAT International to help the UN develop solutions to the world’s problems.

The murder in 1980 of one of the contemporary Church’s most prophetic and courageous champions of peace, justice and the rights of the poor is recalled by Dermot Keogh.

War causes so much waste. In this poignant story set in Florida, John J. McCullagh reflects on how the Vietnam War affected some lives.

We include here a short note on the steps on the road to canonisation.

Thirty years after the publication of Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhoration ‘Evangelii Nuntiandi’ many still seem to see “evangelization” in the restricted sense of winning individual converts to the Church.

This is the second chapter of Henry Wansbrough’ book “The Story of the Bible: how it came to us”. It tells the story of what Karl Rahner calls the Church’s own “self-definition”, that is how it came to decide which gospels and texts define its own reality and which do [...]

Dear Father, many highly educated men and women claim to be atheists. Yet anyone with even a minimum of intelligence must realise that the world just could not have started by itself. Scriptures say that ‘the fool has said in his heart, “there is no God”‘. Must we conclude that [...]

Stephen Cottrell’s vision of an evangelising church embraces Christians of every tradition, and explores practical ways of developing structures and ministries that will establish a culture of evangelism in local churches.

Niels Stensen from a Lutheran family in Denmark brought the same relentless logic of his profession as a scientist to his pursuit of truth in the area of religion. He became singularly devoted to the Eucharist and the Scriptures. This inspired him as a bishop in Germany and northern Europe.

Tom writes: When I was young, there was much preaching on hell and the consequences of sin. Nowadays, no matter what we do, God loves us, we are told. Are we giving our young people a false sense of security by saying that god loves them, even when they are [...]

Donal Dorr SPS begins with the idea of mission as dialogue between Christianity and other religions, spiritualities and value systems. He goes on to look at mission as evangelisation, as inculturation, as struggle for liberation, as option for the poor and as power from the Spirit. He also looks at [...]

A collection of historical essays by professional historians, some of them themselves Benedictines, recording how Irish men and women have responded to the Rule of St Benedict over a period of 1400 years as a way to seek and find God.

Martin Kennedy gathers together a series of reflections on his own experience of ministry in contemporary Irish culture, offering practical approaches to evangelisation, justice and working together with others. He writes from a context of working with others honestly and respectfully, convinced that the Spirit is alive and active in [...]

Paul Andrews SJ recalls his experiences in education in the 1950s.

In an important article about handing on the faith in contemporary Ireland, Fr Paul Andrews SJ says, “What we hand on to our children is not so much doctrine or practices, as the capacity to love”.

Holy Saturday is a day of absence and anticipation. Click below.

In this introductory article to the Gospel of Mark Philip Fogarty SJ addresses the question about who the intended readers were and why Jesus imposes what is called a “messianic secret” about himself.

Brian writes: Sometimes in my prayers I feel as if I have nothing to say to God. I sit in stony silence for a while, before giving up, or get distracted by what’s going on around me. It’s not that I’m not grateful or sorrowful, but sometimes I run out [...]

James Alison is a Catholic theologian, priest and author. Here he poses questions to his Catholic faith on the important questions of desire, worship, sexuality and truthfulness.

Looking at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector, Fr Oliver Treanor is able to point our what are the central attitudes that will win us the kingdom of God.

A hundred years ago this year – on 28th July 1907 – Father John Sullivan was ordained a priest in the Jesuit chapel in Milltown Park. Conor Harper SJ writes about his life and influence.

Here Paul Andrews SJ talks about making contact – with people and with God.

Ceann d’ócáidí móra na bliana 1592 ar Mhór-Roinn na hEorpa ab ea bunú Choláiste na nGael i Salamanca na Spáinne. Ag cur san áireamh an caidreamh a bhí idir an tír seo agus an Spáinn san am sin, ní hiontas é go mbunófaí Coláiste Éireannach i gcathair úd an chultúir, [...]