The Church in Ireland

More than 450 pilgrims from the Diocese of Cork and Ross gathered in Lourdes for the start of their diocesan pilgrimage. The group included parishioners, assisted pilgrims, doctors, nurses, carers, and various student and adult helpers.

The pilgrimage began with an opening Mass at Côté Grotte. During his homily, Bishop Fintan told the pilgrims that the Lord remains with them through illness, worries, questions, and varying levels of faith.

The group held a Blessed Sacrament Procession where pilgrims brought prayers and intentions from people at home to the Grotto to remember those unable to travel to Lourdes.

Bishop Paul Connell attended the Irish Catholic Spaces: Pasts and Futures conference hosted by the Catholic Historical Society of Ireland at DCU. The event examined Ireland's Catholic heritage, including 800 years of Franciscan spaces, and discussed how to preserve sacred sites for future generations.

During the conference, organizers launched PARISH, a new database project designed to record and preserve Ireland's sacred heritage.

Archbishop Eamon of Armagh expressed sympathy to the family and friends of Father Mark O’Hagan following his death on Friday, September 18, 2026. The Archbishop, along with Cardinal Seán, Bishop Michael, and the clergy and people of the Archdiocese, extended condolences to Father O’Hagan’s mother, Irene, his sister, Sinead, and his siblings, Dwyer and John.

Father O’Hagan served as the parish priest of Ardee and Collon.

Funeral arrangements include a Holy Hour at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady in Ardee on Friday evening and public visitation on Saturday afternoon. His remains will lie in repose at St. Patrick’s Church in Dundalk on Sunday morning before moving to his family home in Coalisland. A Requiem Mass will be held at Holy Family Church, Coalisland, on Monday, September 21, at 2:00 p.m., followed by burial in the cemetery adjacent to St. Mary and St. Joseph’s Church.

Bishop Fintan Gavin celebrated two Masses this week to pray for the new school year for Catholic primary schools in the Diocese of Cork and Ross. The celebrations took place on Monday, September 14, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Skibbereen and on Tuesday, September 15, at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne in Cork.

The events brought together teachers, principals, special needs assistants, and members of boards of management who support Catholic primary education. Using the theme Invites from the Vision for Catholic Education, Bishop Gavin spoke about how Catholic schools help children understand they are loved by God. He noted that every child possesses dignity and a purpose through their unique gifts.

Fifteen new students have started training for the priesthood for the 2026–2027 academic year to serve Irish dioceses. This brings the total number of seminarians in formation to 74.

The group of students includes 15 entering a preparatory Propaedeutic Year in various seminaries, 51 studying at Saint Patrick’s College in Maynooth and the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Dundalk, and eight based in seminaries on the European continent.

Bishop Phonsie Cullinan of Waterford and Lismore, who chairs the Council for Vocations of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, said the number of men training for diocesan priesthood is rising. He described the modest increase as encouraging. Father Willie Purcell, the National Vocations Coordinator for Diocesan Priesthood, added that the arrival of the new seminarians shows the call to the priesthood remains vibrant.

Bishop Tom Deenihan blessed the opening of the 95th National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The event, which takes place from September 16 to 17, is held for the second consecutive year at this venue within the Diocese of Meath.

Bishop Deenihan officiated the blessing alongside the Rev Isobel Jackson, Dean of Saint Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, who represented the retired Bishop Patricia Storey. During the ceremony, prayers were offered for farmers, agricultural yields, and people who lack land to grow food.

Bishop Deenihan noted that attendees expressed a strong interest in the care for creation. He stated that global warming is negatively affecting Irish agriculture and food production. He linked these concerns to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si and the Church’s Season of Creation, which runs from September 1 until the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4.

Bishop Michael Router will be installed as the new Bishop of Derry this Sunday, September 20, at Saint Eugene’s Cathedral. The installation mass is scheduled to begin at 3:00pm and will be livestreamed via the cathedral webcam.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Router as Bishop of Derry on July 16, 2026. Router previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh starting May 7, 2019. He will serve as the principal celebrant and homilist for the ceremony.

The ceremony will include clergy, religious, laity, and guests. Following the mass, Router will greet the congregation, journalists, and photographers at the front door of the cathedral. The diocese includes a Catholic population of about 250,000.

Bishop Gerard Nash described forgiveness as the essential element holding the Synodal Pathway together during his installation Mass as the new Bishop of Ossory. The Mass, held at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Kilkenny, also united the Diocese of Ossory and the Diocese of Ferns in the person of the bishop.

In his homily, Bishop Nash addressed the complexities of modern faith, noting that God works within the messy reality of human life rather than in an ideal setting. He stated that the Church requires priests to nourish the Body through the Eucharist and an active laity to carry Christ into the world.

Three men were admitted to candidacy for the permanent diaconate during a Vigil Mass at St. Mary’s Church in Lanesborough on Saturday, September 5, 2026.

The candidates are Steven Donohoe from the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, and Wilker Antonio Da Costa and Richie O’Brien from the Diocese of Achonry and Elphin.

This rite serves as a formal stage in the preparation for ordained ministry. By being admitted to candidacy, the men publicly express their commitment to continue discerning a call to the diaconate. The Church formally recognizes and accompanies them through this process, which requires further theological and pastoral formation, spiritual growth, and service before they can be considered for ordination.

Missionary priests serving in Ireland say the country cannot rely indefinitely on overseas clergy to compensate for falling local vocations. Fr Jonas Rebamontan, a Filipino priest serving in Boyle, told The Irish Catholic that while missionaries help meet immediate needs, they are not a long-term solution for the Church.

Fr Rebamontan, a former seminary formator, compared the role of missionaries to a passer-by using a jack to lift a stranded motorist's car, noting that the owner must still work to replace the tyre. He stated that missionaries are temporary and that Ireland needs a massive movement to recruit local men for the priesthood.

To ensure the future of the Church, Fr Rebamontan suggested that Irish young people from local communities must sign up for ministry. He called for increased vocation awareness in schools and more opportunities for young people to meet priests to better understand the vocation.

The Catholic Education Partnership will launch the Irish Church’s new Vision for Catholic Schools in Ireland on October 16. This launch begins a three year formation process led by the Association of Patrons and Trustees of Catholic Schools, which is currently hiring staff to manage the project.

The initiative follows the recent release of Living Love, a new resource for Senior Cycle students. Bishops are already commissioning additional resources and training instructors to deliver the program, with a version for Junior Cycle students expected next year. These efforts represent a funded, multi year commitment to improving catechesis within Catholic schools.

Alan Hynes, chief executive of the Catholic Education Partnership, noted that these Church efforts contrast with the State's project to divest patronage from Catholic schools. Hynes stated that the State's goal is to provide parents with different school type options. He noted that while the divestment process has worked well in some areas, such as Nenagh, it remains a separate movement from the Church's efforts to renew its school identity.

Priests from Africa and Asia are now serving in Irish parishes, reversing a historical trend where Ireland sent missionaries to those regions to build local Churches.

Fr. Anselm Emechebe MSP, a Nigerian priest serving in Kilsaran, Co. Louth, noted that Irish missionaries helped form the Catholic environment of his upbringing. He described this shift as a sign of a living Church that moves between territories.

Fr. Amos Ruto, who serves in Castletownbere, moved from Kenya to Ireland after spending nearly a year with a bishop from Cork who had worked in Kenya for over 50 years. This preparation helped him transition to Irish parish life. One older Irish priest observed that the country's religious situation has reversed quickly, noting that there were once so many priests in Ireland that not all could be accommodated in their dioceses.

Co-owner Kay O’Dwyer and NaPro Fertility doctor Kirsty Chapman stated that current curricula lack education on female sexual health from a Catholic perspective. They made these comments ahead of the opening of the St Brigid’s Centre of Female Health in County Meath.

Dr. Chapman runs a clinic at the new center.

The Irish Aid 2025 Annual Report shows that Ireland is now the eighth largest contributor of Official Development Assistance relative to its Gross National Income.

Trócaire CEO Seán Farrell said the organization remains grateful for the continued support of Irish Aid, Minister Neale Richmond, and Barry Andrews MEP. Farrell noted that funding for Trócaire remains consistently high due to the support of the Irish people and the Irish Church. He stated that having local partners and teams in place allows the organization to deliver programs at scale.

Farrell also highlighted the generosity of parishioners he met during visits to various parishes across Ireland during Lent.

The Archdiocese of Chicago will pay more than $5.5 million to nine abuse victims following a recent settlement, according to attorneys.

Lawyers from the firm Jeff Anderson & Associates announced the settlement during a press event on September 10. The firm specializes in abuse cases.

The Catholic Church officially opposes the death penalty, according to an explanation by Jenna Marie Cooper for The Irish Catholic.

Addressing questions regarding Old Testament passages, Cooper notes that the Bible functions as a library of different genres rather than a single uniform book. Historical accounts, sacred poetry, and legal texts serve different purposes and require different methods of interpretation.

Father Ronald Rolheiser writes that human life functions like an unfinished symphony where final fulfillment is never reached. He notes that people often remain unaware of this reality, which can create an internal gap that leads to a greedy grasping at life.

The Catholic readings for the day include Isaiah 55:6-9, Psalm 144 (145), Philippians 1:20-24, 27, and Matthew 20:1-16.

Fr Bernard Cotter identified several factors contributing to the success of Sunday Masses at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Victoria. During a six month sabbatical, Cotter observed that the cathedral attracts large congregations, including younger people, who attend for high quality liturgy and significant homilies.

Cotter attributed the quality of the services to liturgical formation and consistent standards established about 20 years ago when a rector with a focus on liturgy was appointed. This rector introduced liturgical norms and trained ministers to ensure they understood their roles. Cotter noted that this training creates a consistent liturgical experience that remains stable even when visiting clergy lead the services.

The cathedral also utilizes stewards to manage the Sunday Masses. These stewards ensure the nave is filled before the balcony is opened to attendees.

Sinéad McSweeney and Ronan Foley have released a book titled Ireland’s First Sanitorium: The St. Ann’s Hill Hydro, County Cork, 1843-1953. Published by Four Courts Press as part of the Maynooth Studies in Local History series, the work examines the history of the Cork Hydro.

The book describes the facility as one of the most ambitious and successful health spas in Europe during its era. The history of the site spans from 1843 until it closed in 1953.

Alan F. Parkinson explores the life of Charles Stewart Parnell in late Victorian Britain in his book, Parnell’s Other Island. Published by Eastwood Books, the work examines the British environment where the prominent leader lived and worked.

The book title references George Bernard Shaw’s 1904 play, John Bull’s Other Island, but reverses the original concept. While Shaw focused on Ireland, Parkinson focuses on Parnell's experiences within Britain.