News

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes from 3rd February to 11th February

    Ahead of the celebration of the World Day of the Sick on 11 February 2021, the Bishops’ Council for Healthcare offers the following Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes to pray for those who are sick, for all who work in the medical profession, and for an end to the pandemic.   The Novena begins on Wednesday 3 February and concludes on Thursday 11 February – the Feas...

Trócaire Lenten Parish Resources for 2021

  Trócaire works with parishes and communities across the island of Ireland to educate, inspire and motivate people to take action for global justice.   They are supported in this work by Bishops, priests, pastoral workers and parishioners in every diocese. On his visit to Ireland in August 2018, Pope Francis spoke of the need to "forge a future of freedom and dign...

Statement by Bishop Michael Router on Pope Francis’s Message for the World Day of the Sick 2021

    As chair of the Council for Healthcare of the Irish Episcopal Conference, I welcome Pope Francis's message for the World Day of the Sick which takes place on 11 February, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.   The past year has been an extraordinary one.  As a deadly and disruptive virus circled the world, we became more acutely aware of the importance of health...

Knock Shrine to host special online faith discussions during Lent

  Ash Wednesday falls on 17 February and heralds the beginning of Lent 2021.  This year Knock Shrine will host a new series of online discussions to help engage Christians during Lent, under the title ‘Living Christian Faith - Lenten Conversations’.   What nurtures our faith and what challenges it today? Where do we find hope and joy in our lives? How...

Sharing the Good News – Issue 61 January 2021

  Please see below issue 61 of Sharing the Good News, the newsletter of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference.   The current issue can also be downloaded from the home page of www.catholicbishops.ie.  The January 2021 issue features articles on: the publication of the Mother and Baby Homes Report;  Pope Francis' appointment of Bishop Dermot F...

Harry Gribbin's Funeral Mass

  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gribbin family at this sad time following the death of Harry. Sadly, due to the new government restrictions, the House and Funeral will be Strictly Private (immediate family only). Harry's Funeral Mass can be viewed on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on the St Treas - Parish of Newbridge & Ballymaguigan Facebook page at the link below. ...

Statement by Archbishop Eamon Martin on the publication of Research Report on Mother and Baby Homes

    Statement by Archbishop Eamon Martin on the publication of Research Report on Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland   The month of January 2021 will go down in history as the time when the people of Ireland - north and south - came face to face with a stark reality of our past which we preferred would remain hushed and hidden – the way ...

Statement by the Northern Catholic Bishops on the extension of the Covid-19 shut-down to 5 March 2021

  We encourage parishes to continue to broadcast the celebration of Mass – and other devotions and prayer services – online and on other media, knowing that faith and prayer can be a tremendous support to individuals and society during these difficult times. We ask for prayers for the sick, the bereaved and all those whose livelihoods have been particularly impa...

Carmel Quinn's Funeral Mass

  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Quinn and McCreanor families at this sad time following the death of Carmel. Sadly, due to the new government restrictions, the House and Funeral will be Strictly Private (immediate family only). Carmel's Funeral Mass can be viewed on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. on the St Treas - Parish of Newbridge & Ballymaguigan Facebook page at the lin...

Statement of Archbishop Eamon Martin on the publication of the Mother & Baby Homes Report

  "Above all we must continue to find ways of reaching out to those whose personal testimonies are central to this Report” – Archbishop Eamon   I welcome the publication of the Mother & Baby Homes Report.  As a Church leader today, I accept that the Church was clearly part of that culture in which people were frequently stigmatized, judged and rejected. ...