At midnight last night, 21 October, all explicit protection for the unborn child up to 28 weeks of pregnancy was removed in Northern Ireland, leading to potentially one of the most liberal and unregulated abortion regimes in the world.  This is a tragic day for the unborn children who will now never bless our world […]

St Patrick’s Church, Lisburn, Mission Sunday, 20 October 2019  1 “Aaron and Hur supporting his arms” (Ex 17.12) The Word of God is transmitted in a vast array of literary forms in both the Old and New Testament.  The first reading for the liturgy of the Word for the Mass for the Evangelisation of Peoples, […]

Mass celebrated at 12.00pm in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles, Co Tipperary · “Please pray for a colleague of mine – Father Pier Luigi Maccalli SMA – from Italy, who was kidnapped in Niger on 17 September 2018. Father Pier is still in the hands of his captors” – Archbishop O’Reilly Introduction I welcome […]

Saint Macartan’s Cathedral, Monaghan, Sunday 20 October 2019 San Antonio is a lovely city. Famous for the Alamo and the River Walk. I have had the pleasure of a few visits to the city, but the destination I sought was always Yucca Street. The Holy Spirit Convent is there, and for many years I called […]

At this critical moment in our history, it is vitally important that political leaders in Northern Ireland face up to their responsibility to protect life, especially the life of the most vulnerable, such as unborn babies in the womb and their mothers. I appeal to political representatives to set aside differences and to use the […]

World Mission Sunday will be celebrated by the Universal Church this Sunday, 20 October, with the theme, ‘Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World.’  To mark this special occasion Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA will celebrate a dedicated Mass at 12.00pm in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles, Co Tipperary.  Special […]

Today in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome, Cardinal John Henry Newman was created a saint by Pope Francis.  It is a momentous occasion for Christians of all traditions on these islands as Newman, was, during his life, an evangelical Calvinist, an Anglican and a Catholic.  He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1847 and created […]

On 14 September at a meeting with delegates from across the diocese, Bishop Francis Duffy, Bishop of Ardagh & Clonmacnois, launched a listening process in Saint Mel’s College, Longford.  Following the meeting Bishop Duffy initiated a consultation process to elicit views of people in parishes concerning the future of the local Church. Bishop Duffy said, […]

The Bishop of Cork & Ross, Bishop Fintan Gavin, has expressed his prayerful support for the family and friends of the man who died in Cork city overnight as a result of an assault. Bishop Gavin said, “It is always a tragedy when anyone dies but these are such sad and brutal circumstances.  The tragic […]

Saint Brendan’s Cathedral, Loughrea, Co Galway Introductory Remarks Good Afternoon and welcome to Saint Brendan’s Cathedral for the Episcopal Ordination of Father Michael Duignan.  The appointment of a new bishop is a significant event for any diocese, and so this is a very big day for Clonfert and we are delighted to celebrate the occasion.  […]