President praised for official card showing Virgin Mary breastfeeding the infant Jesus - Snow Patrol trio to sing at Bangor Abbey for local charities - Advent Lantern festival marks end of Broughshane parish’s anniversary year - West Cork youth explore Dublin - Mark Marx: 'Healing people, it is what Lord has called me to do' - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Irish priest is now one of the Pope’s most senior officials - Liberal Presbyterian minister who promoted Catholic emancipation honoured - New initiative for Connor youth - Further allegations of abuse against C of I ex-church worker - Mother Teresa to become saint after Pope recognises second miracle - Archbishop Eamon Martin welcomes Pope’s recognition of Mother Teresa - News links to 25 reports on faith, politics and education
Prince Charles warns that Christianity in the Middle East is “under threat like never before” - C of I newspaper’s response to Rising and Somme Battles now online - Hope in sight for victims of Columbia’s 50 year long conflict - Media digest links to 18 press reports
Lord Mayor and Archbishop launch Dublin sitout - Derry clergy Container Sit-out Raises Over £5000 for Refugee Charities - C of I Lent course on reconciliation - Young people from Lambeg Parish sleep out for Abaana - Justin Welby: Christ's birth is a source of 'hope and healing' for bereaved - Archbishop invites more young Christians to spend ‘a year in God’s time’ - Media digest - including church leaders’ Christmas messages
Northern Ireland abortion laws not compatible with human rights, says High Court - Judgement reserved in 'heathen Islam sermon' Pastor McConnell trial in Belfast - Cork Bishops Join in Ecumenical Blessing of SHARE Crib - ‘Overwhelming support' for Syrian refugees as Belfast centre welcomes first arrivals - Bishops outline C of I response to the refugee crisis - Bishop MacDaid opens Door of Mercy at Saint Macartan’s Cathedral as Jubilee begins - ‘Magic Lantern’ collection fosters ecumenical links - Apostle Paul would be 'horrified' by Vatican's position on Judaism, say Jews for Jesus - Media digest
Clergy sit-outs and charity raising - Lord Mayor of Dublin Hosts Interfaith Forum - Colin Nativity a unique community theatre event - Man asks Derry Bishop to pray for him to “get off the drink” - Four Centres of Mercy in Derry diocese - Prayers in the forest’ concludes Christmas Tree Festival - There's no 'vocation to laziness', Pope Francis tells young people - Media digest
Catholic bishop’s ‘lovely’ day with Apprentice Boys in Londonderry - Dublin joins Paris in mourning terror attack victims - Women from Northern Ireland had more than 4,600 abortions in England and Wales over the last five years - Pastor McConnell's declaration that he doesn't trust Muslims was 'grossly offensive', court hears - Schools wrong not to stage nativity plays says first Irish-born Muslim cleric - Vicar and Star Wars-mad children make hilarious spoof of the C of E’s Lord’s Prayer advert - Media digest
Trócaire welcomes landmark climate deal in Paris - The couple who saved a Belfast church from destruction - Christmas Tree Festival Upper Kilwarlin, Lisburn - Sunday schools and bell ringing groups could face ‘radicalisation’ inspections - Salisbury canon banned from preaching in Winchester over his gay marriage - Vatican rejects ‘institutional mission work’ directed at Jews - Media digest
Cork cathedral gets security to combat on-site drug abuse - Historic Belfast church faces demolition for flats - St Catherine’s (CORE) on RTE’s Sunday Worship tomorrow - New book on hitchhiking in the footsteps of St Columbanus - Death of former auxiliary Bishop of Dublin - Belfast parish’s generous support for Hospice - Saturday Night Live programme for youth groups in Down and Dromore - Painting raises £550,000 to help Us support refugees in Europe - Christian Aid welcomes progress at Paris climate summit - Media digest
North Belfast teenagers to March for Peace tonight - Derry’s Catholic Jubilee Year of mercy will begin in C of I church - Dogs Take Centre Stage at Peata Cathedral Carol Service - Community Christmas Tree Festival in St Aidan’s Belfast - Bikes from Down to help Sudanese clergy - Catholic bishops concern for school autonomy - New home for Lambeth Palace's priceless historic library planned - Media digest of Irish and UK news headlines with links
The future of education in Ireland is under constant review - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin writes
Spirit Radio ‘roll out challenge’ seeks €20,000 - New C of I Secretary General announced - Prayer walking in north Belfast - Meath Peace Group focus on 1912 -1922, a Decade of Change and Violence in Ireland - Ulster rugby players’ cathedral date - Cork C of I school board members introductory training - Church appointments - Wales holds day of prayer for refugees - Media digest : Irish and UK news headlines with links
I met the word ‘peace’ for the first time in mid-1988 a few months after I got out of prison. In terms of my life’s experience up to that point I did not know what the word actually meant. How could I? - Jim Gibney writes in the Irish News.
It’s time to rediscover God’s mercy, Pope says at Jubilee launch - Millisle’s Holocaust link - Israel and Ireland : Bishop Trevor Williams shares reflections on reconciliation - Living in the Light : Dublin Multi Faith Service - Join Irish Methodists on Nepal Fundraising Treks 2016 - Lisburn youth Funday, Bunday Sunday raises more than £1,000 for Abaana - Moderator urges Scots to join him in helping feed Syrian refugee families - Only 1 in 10 Advent calendars have Christian theme - Media digest
Memorial to Armenian Genocide erected at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin - Bishop Colton visits Bandon following the ‘Storm Desmond’ Floods - IRA killers at Loughgall ‘died under judgement of God’ - Methodist minister son of murdered policeman - Irish bishops mark fiftieth anniversary of end of Vatican Council - Weekend of special memories for the Moderator - Roof Repair Fund – second funding round open - Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop hospitalised with subdural haematoma - Media digest
European Methodist Council's Actions on Refugee Crisis - The Lord giveth . . . and giveth, and so does the C of I pension fund - Therapy Dog Carol Service in Christ Church Cathedral - Irish Baroque Orchestra to perform Handel's 'Messiah’in Dundalk - Young people embracing Irish - New journal tells how Orange Order helped with famine relief - Two Holy Doors to open in Armagh Diocese for Year of Mercy - Diocese hires graffiti artist for the Year of Mercy - Win battle for ideas in Middle East using biblical basis says former General - New careers web site as Church of Scotland has largest number of trainee ministers in five years - Media digest
Comedy in the Cathedral - Priest hailed for his peace work mourned by 800 at service - Irish Heritage minister to attend Presbyterian conference on 1916 - Methodist congregation in Pettigo supports refugees in Italy - Armagh organ recital - Holy Doors ‘to be opened in every cathedral in the world for the first time’ - Media digest
Retirement of longest serving Irish bishop and ecumenist - 1916: Presbyterians to hold major reflective conference in January - Ecumenical Carol Singing at The Mansion House Dublin 2015 - Derry Door of Mercy opens for Holy Year - Methodist President Condemns Proposed Protest - Community Christmas Tree Festival a first in Maynooth - Oxford diocese’s suggestions for a manly Christmas don’t go over well - Poor and homeless get star treatment at Vatican movie premiere - Media digest
Stunning Narnia statues to grace Belfast’s new CS Lewis Square - New Christian Comic Series Opens World of Wunder for Kids - East Belfast church’s feeding the 5000 day - Church of Ireland lay worker accused of sexual abuse of 10 boys - Former priest Henry Moloney guilty of sex assault on pupil - Methodist tribute to Fr Gerry Reynolds - Canadian veteran of the ecumenical movement, dies at 100 - Media digest
Ardoyne Altar boys of ’69 reunited for film on how the Troubles shaped their lives - RC bishops profoundly disquieted at Belfast High Court decision on abortion - Presbyterian Church’s Christmas Cracker Scheme - Columbanus anniversary celebrations in Bangor and Maynooth - Witness to Christ’s love Pope Francis stresses in visit to Anglican Ugandan martyrs shrine - Media digest
Giving Tree for Belfast City Mission and St Vincent de Paul - Presbyterian church to give thorough consideration to High Court ruling on abortion - Northern Ireland peacemaker priest Father Gerry Reynolds dies aged 82 - Artwork in Belfast Church Commemorates WW1 Sinking - Climate rally urged to give a voice to those whose lives have been shattered by climate change - Trócaire urges Taoiseach to show leadership in Paris - Redemptorists launch annual Limerick City hamper appeal - Clogher Mothers’ Union President honoured - Pope calls Central African Christians, Muslims to unite against violence - Sexuality, struggle and saintliness: same-sex-love and the church - Media digest
Protestors brave the rain in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast to demand action on climate change - Hail shower hits Eglinton clergy’s sit-out for refugees - Christ Church Cathedral girls’ choir celebrates 20th anniversary - WCC staff visit to Ireland - Derry Mothers' Union Vigil Highlights Gender-based Violence - Parish readers told Lay Ministry is a Gift to the Church - Archbishop Jackson - Journalist urges Churches to focus on their central message - Festival of Christmas Trees popular in Ahoghill - Christmas EVENT for young people in Connor Diocese - Bishop Crean confirms priest’s defrocking for abuse - Prayers for 2016 Gathering and Meeting of Anglican Primates - New book evaluates Ireland’s response to Vatican II - Media digest
President Higgins attends National Prayer Service ahead of Paris Climate Summit - Moderator speaks out on planned refugee protest - Church support for Irish prisoners overseas and their families - Meath and Kildare diocese to ‘Paws For Advent’ - Wee buns by the Baking Bishop - Public sex abuse inquiry to focus first on Anglican and Catholic churches - Religious education is outdated and needs overhaul, says GB study - Church of England appoints its eighth woman bishop - Media Digest
Irish priests to hear confessions at shopping centre - Ecumenical Service in Belfast Cathedral on Eve of Climate Change Talks - New book on Cork Pilgrimage Places, Holy Wells, Graves and Statues - Dublin Churches Walk of Light prays for our broken world - Pope names first Catholic bishop to oversee Anglican ordinariate - Global Anglican prayer focused on Jerusalem - Media digest
Week to go before UN climate talks start - Wunderland : Rector’s stories published as comics - Lord’s Prayer is Archbishop of Armagh’s focus in Diocesan Roadshows - Primus Chillingworth on Lord’s Prayer cinema ban - Nuala O’Loan to launch new book on impact of Vatican II on Ireland - Dublin Methodist Mission celebrates sheltered housing - RUC officer and republican among Ardoyne altar boys reunion - Methodist Mission partner on the trail of Columbanus - Pope on security threats: ‘I’m more afraid of the mosquitos’ - C of I chaplain at TCD appointed - Media digest
Queen tells Church of England leaders to 'grapple' with same-sex marriage - Sermon at C of E Synod service given by the Preacher to the Papal Household - Archbishop Eamon Martin launches online Advent Calendar for 2015 - Portraits of literary greats Seamus Heaney and CS Lewis unveiled at Stormont - World Council of Churches expert on interreligious dialogue to preach in Belfast Cathedral - Tinned ecumenism - Eglinton clergy stage a sit–out in a container - Church of England launches online prayer drive - Presbyterian Mission Conference hears of hope and challenges facing the Church in the Middle East - Media digest
Nobody can be neutral in the face of merciless terror or injustice, says Fergus Finlay. You help, in whatever way you can.
RTÉ Orchestra for Knock Basilica peace concert - Choir brings Church goers to their feet with amazing rendition of Teenage Kicks - Presbyterian Moderator congratulates Church of England on Lord’s Prayer initiative - Prisons' Week 2015: Moderator visits Maghaberry - An invitation to the people’s climate day of action in Belfast - Bravery of firefighters is remembered at Mass - Second Limavady Presbyterian Church celebrates 175 years - Media digest
While we have a right, and indeed a duty, to condemn the barbarity of last week's Paris killings, how clean are our own hands in Ireland and Britain when it comes to infusing religion into politics - and politics into violence? Writes Patrick Murphy in the Irish News.
Anniversary celebrations for Methodist Dublin Central Mission - SVP stands down committee over LGBT centre allocation - Superb singers at annual carols from St Mark’s, Portadown - Contemporary music fundraiser for Newtownabbey Methodist Mission - Marching for climate change with Christian Aid Ireland - Portadown GB Craft Fair - Cabaret fundraiser for Leprosy Mission hospital - Carrigaline parishioner channels her 90th birthday gifts to charity - Trócaire’s impact in Kenya praised by Irish delegates - Media digest