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Theme: The Last Priests in Ireland – What is Life Like for Them? Speakers: Paddy Byrne, John Dunphy, Julieann Moran and Tim Hazelwood All welcome Paddy Byrne             Paddy is…

WAC have organised a ZOOM Synod Symposium on 15 November 2023. We have expanded our capacity from 100 to 250 for this ZOOM meeting, as we sold out 100 very fast!So…

Prisoners’ Sunday31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Prisoners’ Sunday is a day to direct our thoughts and prayers to prisoners, their families, and their children. Prisoners’ Sunday is also a time to…

Western People 31.10.23 As I was ordained in 1973, that year became a pivotal point in my life for that and for a variety of other reasons. It was also…

Fr Paddy Byrne looks after three parishes in Kildare & Leighlin diocese. Following a newspaper article on Cutbacks to Sunday Mass, Paddy was invited on to the Claire Byrne show…

XVI ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPSFirst Session(4-29 October 2023)Synthesis ReportA SYNODAL CHURCH IN MISSION October 28th 2023 Link to full report: https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/assembly/synthesis/english/2023.10.28-ENG-Synthesis-Report.pdf

There has been much anger and hurt and grief and bitterness expressed around the appalling actions of Hamas and of Israeli authorities since 7 October. These expressions could be seen…

“Yes, I will go to Dubai. I think I will leave December 1st until December 3rd. I’ll stay there for three days. I remember that when I went to Strasbourg,…

Brendan Hoban’s new book, Holding Out for a Hero: The Long Wait for Pope Francis, has just been published. Brendan looks back on his fifty years as a priest. The book…

MICHAEL & TIMOTHY: Two big characters from my past, loomed rather large, in recent time: Tim Radcliffe OP led the Synodal participants into Reflection. Michael Campbell Johnston SJ died. Tim…

Tue 31st Oct – Let’s Pretend As children we often played the game of pretending to be someone grown up like a doctor a policeman, a teacher or a nurse….

Western People 24.10.23 According to the findings of  a recent Irish Times/Ipsos opinion poll 40 per cent of the Irish public will not pay their television licence fees this year….

Vatican News reports: The Synthesis Report at the conclusion of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality is published. Looking ahead to the second session in 2024, the…

The Journal (Irish based online news service): Inside the Synod Diarmuid Pepper reports from the Vatican’s historic Synod as the first phase comes to an end. Links to articles: An historic…

Day of Prayer for Peace – 27 October 2023 During his general audience last Wednesday, Pope Francis called for a World Day of Prayer for Peace on Friday, 27 October, inviting…

Dear sisters, dear brothers, As the proceedings of the first session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops draw to a close, we want to thank…

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — It is hard for result-oriented Americans to understand that, for Pope Francis, the synodal process is more important than any decision, report or document that comes…

THE COLOUR OF AUTUMN These days. The wind. The rain. The last hurrah of the trees. The colourful leaves are attention seeking. It is quite beautiful. I sometimes miss out…