Chris McDonnell writes in The Catholic Times about the shortage of priests and states that “It will soon be too late to consider a possible resolution to the problems we face unless we take active steps now to address our difficulties.”
“there is a now a clear necessity for Commissions to be set up both in the UK and Ireland by the respective bishops’ conferences to examine the whole issue before the model we are currently struggling to manage breaks and we are left to pick up the pieces.”
Maura Adshead wrote on what being a Catholic means to her. This article appeared in the Irish Examiner of 21 June 21 under the heading ‘Why we need to tackle question of what it is to be a Catholic’. Maura Adshead is Senior Lecturer in Politics and Public Administration and Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Limerick.
Sean O’Connaill deplores the bishops’ lack of transparency on the funding and independence of the national body for child protection that they set up (the NSBCCC), and hopes for the day when bishops will be accountable to their people.
Reacting to the news of the unexpected death of Fr Joseph McGuane, Sean O’Conaill commends Fr McGuane’s article in the 2008 Furrow, entitled THE PROFESSIONAL CLERIC (reprinted here).
Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, in a recent homily commented on ‘Evangelii Gaudium’, the recent apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis. He said that Pope Francis has called for a Church which ‘goes forth’, for a Church which as a spiritual home keeps its doors permanently open.
For this, he said, we need, more than anything else now, trained and committed personnel on the ground. Priests, of course, but also full and part time lay evangelists.
Updated 26/01/2017 with video link and further media coverage
Tony Flannery shares some thoughts on his Mass of Celebration, marking the occasion of his 70th birthday and 40 years of priesthood.
“The Mass, for me, was emotional, but beautiful. I have celebrated many big Masses over the years, at missions and novenas, but nothing that touched me to the core like this one.”
Also included is some of the press coverage of the celebration.
