The theme of this year’s novena is ‘Mary as friend, sister and mother’ and the devotional observance is being directed by Meath diocesan priest Fr Shane Crombie.

Tributes to 81-year-old Fr Michael Guckian, who served in the Philippines as a missionary for 30 years, describe him as “a walking saint”.

'Welcoming the Stranger: Irish Migrant Welfare in Britain since 1957' shows that policy which endures starts with the people it serves: Bishop Kirby.