Blog

Statement issued by Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan on HPV vaccines, 02 October 2017

The ACP offers sincere sympathy to our colleague Brendan Hoban and to his extended family on the death of his brother, Seamus.

Killeagh-inch Spiritfest 2017 Friday 22 September Fr Jerry O Hanlon S.J. Topic: The Quiet Revolution of Pope Francis & the Irish catholic Church. (What can we do – Bishops, Priests,…

Brendan Hoban responds to recent articles in The Furrow. He says he takes the opportunity “of setting out … the policy of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) in choosing particular issues and in robustly arguing our positions.”

Padraic McCarthy, on seeing that the Presider’s Page has greetings in various languages for visitors to our churches or celebrations, submitted a selection of greeting notices he has come across on his travels.
With some adaptations they might be useful to you.

Apology. Site off line from 31 December until 03 January 2017.

A peaceful Christmas to all

Homily at Peter’s funeral [by Seamus Ahearne osa] I arrived very early here on this cold morning; went in a got a coffee at Greg’s; the woman there didn’t understand…

Homily for Sally [from Seamus Ahearne osa] The last time Sally came into this Church was on the 2nd November. It was a time to remember our dead and especially…

Tony Flannery has published, on his own blog, a short correspondence that passed between himself and the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown following the appearance of The Nuncio on RTE’s “The Meaning of Life”.

Oct 2016 Yesterday a man I know was appointed to the most exclusive clerical club in the world. He was made a cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Francis….

BEYOND REDEMPTION? A WOULD YOU BELIEVE? SPECIAL Involving Dr Marie Keenan, Forensic Psychotherapist, UCD Would you believe. 20 October. 10.15 pm They are people we know. They live in our…

The Association of Catholics in Ireland is hosting two events featuring Marco Politi, well known author and commentator on Vatican affairs.
Marco will speak in the Chapel in Trinity College, Dublin, on Saturday 15 October 2016 at 4.00 pm.and in Carlow College, St. Patrick’s, on Monday 17 October 2016 at 7.45 pm.

Brendan Hoban like many priests spent a good part of today, Friday, visiting the elderly and sick in his parish and found there’s a lot of upset out there among people about the allegations that have been made against Maynooth Seminary.
Many priests will be considering if they should address this issue at weekend Masses. Brendan offers some thoughts that might provide a bit of clarity on the background as so many are confused; it might encourage priests to address it.

Comments on this topic should be posted at “Maynooth Seminary Crisis: ACP Statement”

Vatican Radio announces that Pope Francis has appointed a commission that ‘could study the question” of the diaconate of women, “especially with regard to the first ages of the Church.” ‘
Interestingly for a Vatican body the commission is gender balanced.

The idea that all sanctions and restrictions were lifted from Sean Fagan before his death is being widely circulated, and also in some of the comments on this site.
Shamefully, for those who had the authority to do so, all the sanctions placed on Sean Fagan were not removed before his death.

‘The Judas Iscariot Lunch’ , a documentary, features 13 former Columban missionary priests including Joe O Grady from Cloonacool, County Sligo.
It is is a story about faith, religion, love and life after the priesthood.
This documentary, often funny, sometimes sad, is beautiful, raw and thought-provoking.

Sarah Mac Donald writes in NCR about the experience of Gerry Moloney at the hands of the CDF.
“You are tried, found guilty and sentenced, before you even know you were on trial. And yet the gospel tells us that people will ‘know we are Christians by our love.’ “

Brendan Hoban reviews Michael Paul Gallagher’s “Into Extra Time.”

‘Michael Paul worried that publishing such a personal narrative would seem to inflate his own experience or appear too self-centred and pious and he found writing a book that would be read only when he was dead a strange moment in his life. But he need not have worried. It is, I believe, the most important book he has written.’

A monthly celebration of Sunday Mass in Avila Carmelite Centre, Bloomfield Avenue (off Morehampton Road), Donnybrook, Dublin 4, at which all are welcome, with a particular welcome for lgbt (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) people, their parents, family members, and friends.
Celebrants have included Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and diocesan and religious priests.