Lent
The Pope wants you to put the phone away for Lent and stop trolling people

The Pope wants you to put the phone away for Lent and stop trolling people

@Pontifex has spoken… Lent is upon us. You may be giving up chocolate or cigarettes or alcohol or, if you’re a particular bastion of willpower, all three. If you’re getting involved, best of luck. If not, it’s business as usual, really. One man very much settling in for the long haul is Pope Francis, head […]

6 years ago

Lent is the ultimate celebration of Irish Catholicism

Lent is the ultimate celebration of Irish Catholicism

When you think of the religious holidays celebrated in Ireland, which ones spring to mind? Seems safe to assume that Christmas might come first, given that it now comprises half of the calendar year, running from August until January. It’s probably a tie after that, Easter probably drawing level with St. Patrick’s Day. Days for patron […]

7 years ago

Galway parish offering drive-thru ashes for Ash Wednesday

Galway parish offering drive-thru ashes for Ash Wednesday

Get your ashes on the go. Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten period, leading up to Easter week. The day derives its name from the placing of repentance ashes on the foreheads of participants to either the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or the dictum “Remember that you are dust, […]

7 years ago

10 reasons why Irish people love Lent so much

10 reasons why Irish people love Lent so much

It’s awful… The absolute worst… You’ll love it! Great news everybody… Lent is back! Forty days of clean living. Forty nights of cravings in your dreams. It sounds like unnecessary pain and that’s because it is. Yet we love it all the same. In fact, some people get nostalgic about it; the feeling of an […]

8 years ago