The Church in Ireland

Bishop Fintan Gavin blessed three members of the Presentation Brothers Community before their departure to Ghana next week.

Michael Tierney, Andrew Lim, and Brother Simon Fernandez will visit the Presentation Brothers mission in Northern Ghana as part of the Leadership Education and Formation Project Team. This trip prepares for the Edmund Ignatius Rice Immersion Conference for young brothers in Ireland next year.

The blessing occurred at Mardyke House following Night Prayer with participants of the Formation in Faith Course.

Bishop Martin Hayes celebrated a Mass at St. Clare’s Chapel in Cavan on Thursday, October 29, to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. The liturgy honored the Franciscan tradition and its contribution to the Diocese of Kilmore.

Monsignor Liam Kelly gave a talk at the Farnham Arms Hotel in Cavan regarding the historic relationship between the Franciscan Order and the diocese.

Bishop Hayes was assisted by Monsignor Liam Kelly, Fr Ultan McGoohan, Fr Gerard Cassidy, Fr Martin Gilcreest, Fr Patrick Ezefunamba, and Fr Matthew Alechenu Onyilo. Representing the Franciscan Order were Fr Liam Kelly, Fr Seán Kelly, Fr Kieran Cronin, Fr James Connolly, and Fr Anthony Joy.

The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin has released prayer resources for the month of November to assist the faithful in remembering and praying for the deceased.

The diocese is providing daily scripture quotes and specific prayers through its Facebook and X accounts throughout the month. Available digital resources include a prayer card for November and a local litany for the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland. These materials are intended for use during grave visits, church visits, or personal prayer.

Dr. Robert McNamara describes faith as a personal relationship built on interpersonal trust. In an article for The Irish Catholic, McNamara explains that the structure of faith is founded on this trust, while the content of faith involves listening to and believing the word of another.

A reader of The Irish Catholic questioned whether holding hands during the "Our Father" at Mass is appropriate, given that Church law does not explicitly forbid the practice.

In a column by Jenna Marie Cooper, the reader noted that their family has always held hands during this part of the liturgy and suggested that the silence of the law could be interpreted as permission.

The National Synodal Assembly met in Gormanstown, Co. Meath, on Saturday, October 17. Following this assembly, the synodal process enters a new phase of implementation intended to help parishes and dioceses become more synodal spaces for modern mission.

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Church of Ireland Archbishop John McDowell have worked together on peace and reconciliation initiatives in Armagh.

An Irish pilgrimage group recently traveled to Assisi to participate in the Go Assisi festival. Members of the group gathered outside the Basilica of St. Francis during the event.

The film Chinese Roulette by German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder has reached its fiftieth anniversary.

To mark the occasion, a box set titled The Commemorative Collection was released, containing eight of the director's films. The set is priced at £144.

The National Gallery in Dublin has opened an exhibition of works by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint. The show is accompanied by a publication titled Hilma af Klint: Artist and Visionary, which contains essays by Jessica Höglund, Janet Mclean, and Pádraic E. Moore. The book is priced at €39.00.

Billy Ramsell's book, Render, has been named a Summer 2026 Recommendation of the Poetry Society and was shortlisted for the T. S. Elliot Prize. Published by Banshee Press, the work is priced at €12.00 or £10.50.

Father Bernard Cotter discusses the challenges of maintaining multiple church buildings in rural parishes, using his experience in the Murragh and Templemartin parish in mid Cork as an example. He notes that the parish contains both a large parish church in Newcestown and a smaller, older church in Farnivane.

Senator Aubrey McCarthy, co-founder of the charity Tiglin, has expressed support for a report by the Bishops’ Commission for Social Issues and International Affairs regarding Ireland's homelessness crisis. McCarthy stated that the crisis results from a failure of government and public policies at all levels.

The bishops' report, presented at their autumn general meeting in Maynooth, described homelessness as a blight on society and called for addressing its root causes. The commission noted that the number of people accessing emergency accommodation rose 111% between the 2021 launch of the Housing for All plan and August 2026, and increased 169% over the last decade.

McCarthy, who has worked with homeless individuals for nearly 20 years, said his experience with Tiglin confirms the bishops' warning that reacting to a crisis is both ineffective and costly. Tiglin operates the Lighthouse Café on Pearse Street in Dublin alongside the Dublin Christian Mission, providing meals, clothing, and medical services to between 200 and 500 people daily.

Bishops of the Cashel province have circulated ten proposals for merging dioceses across Munster. These configurations involve the seven dioceses of Cashel and Emly, Cloyne, Cork and Ross, Killaloe, Limerick, Kerry, and Waterford and Lismore.

The document states that the Papal Nuncio has ruled out maintaining current diocesan structures, though no final decisions have been made. Fr. Tim Hazelwood of the Association of Catholic Priests questioned the lack of consultation with clergy and parishioners.

Separately, discussions regarding a merger between the Clogher and Kilmore dioceses have continued for two years. Some clergy in Clogher have expressed a preference for a merger with Armagh, but no final decision has been reached.

Fr. Declan Hurley said that future priests must be prepared to work with other clergy and lay ministers instead of serving parishes alone. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr. Hurley stated that the era of priests ministering single-handedly is ending and that they will need to work within larger pastoral units.

Fr. Hurley, who currently serves as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Meath and Parish Administrator of Navan, will begin a new role in Rome this January. He has been appointed Director of the Propaedeutic Programme at the Pontifical Irish College. He noted that his experience chairing the National Synodal Team provided insight into the environment in which future priests will serve.

He said that those entering the priesthood will need a strong sense of priestly identity, a prayerful and evangelizing approach to ministry, and the ability to collaborate with others. Fr. Hurley said his appointment was a surprise, as he had expected his next assignment to remain within the Diocese of Meath.

Fr. Francis Gavin, interim spiritual director of Evangelium Ireland, said young Catholics returning to the Church risk feeling lost without a community of fellow believers.

Gavin, a priest of the Dublin Oratory in Formation at St. Kevin’s Church, made these remarks ahead of an Evangelium conference scheduled for November 7. He described the current period in Ireland as a quiet revival.

The Archdiocese of Armagh has introduced a six-year plan for 2026 through 2032 to strengthen parish life. The plan includes 14 proposals organized into five missionary pathways: faith formation, liturgy, youth and family outreach, evangelization, and prayer.

The proposals include the creation of regional youth and family hubs to bring people together across parish boundaries. To support young people, the Archdiocese intends to implement a new discipleship and leadership program for those who have completed Confirmation. Other elements of the plan involve a family-centered approach to sacramental preparation, increased formation for clergy and lay ministers, and a strategy for digital evangelization.

These developments build upon Archbishop Eamon Martin’s recent pastoral letter, "Go, Rebuild My Church," and the diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith held earlier this year. The Archdiocese noted that the plan addresses challenges such as declining numbers of active clergy, changing participation patterns, and varying levels of local capacity within parishes.

Sister Patricia MacAulay, a member of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, will proclaim her final vows on November 7 at Raheny Parish Church in Dublin.

In a message to women and girls considering religious life, MacAulay stated that the Church needs religious women more than ever.

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) will hold its annual Light Up a Memory Mass on November 7 at Sacred Heart Church in Cork. The candlelit ceremony is part of the MSC Novena for Holy Souls, which runs from November 2 to November 10.

Karen Moloney, MSC communications executive, said the event aims to remember friends and family in a joyful way and to spread light during the month of November. This year, the ceremony will include a screen to display the names of loved ones submitted for remembrance. To assist those participating online or from other locations, the MSC has introduced a website portal where participants can submit names directly instead of calling the office.

The event will feature music from the Island of Ireland Peace Choir. Irish tenor Declan Kelly is scheduled to perform following the Mass.

The Irish Catholic reports that various books, articles, and documentaries have argued the Catholic Church in Ireland was excessively puritanical and repressive regarding sexual matters in the past.

Sociologist Tom Inglis, author of Moral Monopoly, and T.P. O’Mahony, author of Forbidden Ireland, are among those who have presented this perspective.

The Irish Catholic reports that Catholic schools play a vital role in passing on the faith, even as church attendance in many areas has declined.

Roisin Coll notes that while many churches are quieter than in the past, Catholic schools continue to serve large numbers of children. The report questions whether teachers are being provided with enough resources to fulfill their responsibility of religious instruction.

Sinn Féin's support in opinion polls has declined to 22%, according to a recent poll reported by The Irish Catholic.

In the summer of 2022, the party held 37% in opinion polls. Eilis Mulroy reports that the party's previous momentum has diminished over the last four years.

The Ulster Council previously expressed its intention to host the 2027 Ulster final at a redeveloped Casement Park.

The stadium, located in west Belfast, serves as the home for Antrim GAA. After remaining idle for more than ten years, the site underwent redevelopment to become a center for Gaelic games.

Fr. Philip Perinnattu was appointed Syro-Malabar chaplain at Knock Shrine in May 2025.

The Shrine Rector, Fr. Richard Gibbons, welcomed Fr. Perinnattu alongside Fr. Antony Parathepathickal, the Galway regional coordinator, and Fr. Jose Bharanikulangara, the Belfast regional coordinator. Representatives from the Syro-Malabar Knock and Galway mass centres also attended the welcome.

Cardinal Blase Cupich spoke at Fiera di Primiero to reflect on the life and lessons of the late Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin.

During his remarks, Cupich noted that Bernardin, who served the Church in Chicago, also felt at home in the community of Fiera di Primiero. Cupich stated his intention to reflect on how Bernardin applied what he learned throughout his life.

Pope Leo XIV concluded a four-day apostolic journey to France on September 28, 2026. The Pope celebrated Mass at the Metz Cathedral on the final day of the visit.

Bishop Ger Nash of the Diocese of Ferns welcomed the publication of Venite ad Me, a document released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican.

The document addresses the transmission of faith during periods of cultural change. It identifies challenges such as passing on faith within families and the modern search for belonging. Bishop Nash noted that the text emphasizes encountering Jesus Christ as the basis for faith growth and suggests that faith is transmitted through witness, friendship, prayer, and service.

Venite ad Me affirms the value of traditional Catholic expressions and popular piety in preserving Christianity. The document also highlights how art, beauty, and sacred music can draw people closer to the Gospel.

Kilmore Care of Creation will hold its 2026 Annual General Meeting at the Conaty Centre/Pastoral Centre in Cavan Town, Co Cavan.

The Diocese of Kilmore states that anyone wishing to propose motions for consideration must send them to the Secretary at least two weeks before the meeting. Motions should be mailed to the Secretary of Kilmore Care of Creation at the Bishop’s House, Cullies, Cavan Town.