This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O’Connell, the “Great Liberator”. Daniel O’Connell (1775–1847) changed the face of Irish history. A brilliant orator, political organiser and advocate for non-violent reform, O’Connell led the campaign for Catholic Emancipation and founded the Repeal Association to challenge the Act of Union. He was born The post Daniel O’Connell, the Great Liberator. appeared first on Portlaoise Parish.

September brings a rich feast for our senses. Autumnal colors are very beautiful. In many ways’ autumn is a season of letting go. harvest has been gathered, fruit has ripened and leaves now tired fall to the earth. There is something spiritual in God’s creation that is very palpable in the month of September. The The post The Art of Letting Go appeared first on Portlaoise Parish.

Often in life, we only get the opportunity to speak well of someone we highly regard and respect, after they have physically gone from us. It is therefore with a real sense of gratitude and deep appreciation I reflect on the wonderful contribution, that Monsignor John Byrne, continues to make to the people of Portlaoise, The post Monsignor John Byrne, 25 years as Parish Priest of Portlaoise appeared first on Portlaoise Parish.

It was a lawyer who asked Jesus in the Gospel, ‘Who is my neighbour?’ He was probably expecting a definition that would determine the limits of his obligations. Did ‘neighbour’ refer to his immediate community, or did it extend beyond that to the whole village? Should people living nearby in the countryside be considered neighbours The post The Good Samaritan appeared first on Portlaoise Parish.

When did you last say your prayers?  This question makes all kinds of presumptions. Not least that people don’t pray. Or that prayer has any value. Or that there’s a consensus on how we define what prayer is, which of course there isn’t. One man’s meat . . . and so forth. But what I’m trying The post When did you last say your prayers? appeared first on Portlaoise Parish.

Pope Leo XIV has declared St. John Henry Newman a “Doctor” of the church, bestowing one of the Catholic Church’s highest honours on the deeply influential 19th century Anglican convert, who remains a unifying figure among conservatives and progressives. The designation is one of the most significant decisions of Leo’s young papacy and carries deep personal meaning. The post St. John Henry Newman…. Doctor of The Church appeared first on Portlaoise Parish.