Come & See Inspirations

On the podcast excerpt this week John and Shane are joined by Mary-Aoife and Seamus Ong who are part of Carlo Acutis Ireland to tell us about Blessed Carlo Acutis who is in line to be the first canonised millennial saint!Carlo was a young website designer born in London to Andrea Acutis and Antonio Salazano in 1991. Carlo grew up in Milan and had huge interest in video games, football, films, and animals, particularly his own pets. At first appearance he seemed like an ordinary boy. However, what separated Carlo from so many people was his constant pursuit of holiness. Although Carlo’s parents Andrea and Antonio were not religious, Carlo’s grandparents had great faith and from a very young age Carlo became deeply invested in serving a life for Jesus. He had many questions for his parents growing up and eventually he brought his parents back to their faith. Carlo was a shining example for his friends in school, and on his football team showing them that Jesus was the way to go in life. He also had a deep inter

On the podcast this week John and Shane are joined by Mary-Aoife and Seamus Ong who are part of Carlo Acutis Ireland to tell us about Blessed Carlo Acutis who is in line to be the first canonised millennial saint!We have our regular run through the saints of the week and liturgical odds and ends with our prayer space in part one. And in part three we reflect on the Sunday gospel from St Mark (Mk 12:28-34) where Jesus reminds us of the key commandments of love.Blessed Carlo AcutisSeamus and Mary Aoife Ong join us on the podcast to introduce Blessed Carlo Acutis. Carlo was a young website designer born in London to Andrea Acutis and Antonio Salazano in 1991. Carlo grew up in Milan and had huge interest in video games, football, films, and animals, particularly his own pets. At first appearance he seemed like an ordinary boy. However, what separated Carlo from so many people was his constant pursuit of holiness. Although Carlo’s parents Andrea and Antonio were not religious, Carlo’s grandparents had great faith

On this weeks podcast we dip into the archives and listen back to a piece from October 20217 where John and Shane reflect on the up coming solemnity of All Saints on November 1st including a reflection from Word on Fires's Bishop Robert Barron.We have our weekly reflection on the Sunday gospel where this week John is joined by Fr Frank Duhig and of course we have our saints as well as other notices and liturgical odds & ends.Reflecting on the Feast of All SaintsAs the clocks change this weekend and the evenings have firmly drawn in, we head into Samhain (November) and the dark days of Winter here in Ireland. As the earth heads into hibernation and rebirth, the ancient Celts saw this time as a "thin place" between this world and the next. All Hallows Eve (Halloween) and the celebrations of All Saints and All Soul's are a reminder to us that our nearest and dearest who have died are not really that far away and that we honour and pray for and with each other in the Communion of Saints es

On this weeks podcast excerpt we dip into the archives and listen back to a piece from October 20217 where John and Shane reflect on the up coming solemnity of All Saints on November 1st including a reflection from Word on Fires's Bishop Robert Barron.Reflecting on the Feast of All SaintsAs the clocks change this weekend and the evenings have firmly drawn in, we head into Samhain (November) and the dark days of Winter here in Ireland. As the earth heads into hibernation and rebirth, the ancient Celts saw this time as a "thin place" between this world and the next. All Hallows Eve (Halloween) and the celebrations of All Saints and All Soul's are a reminder to us that our nearest and dearest who have died are not really that far away and that we honour and pray for and with each other in the Communion of Saints especially at this time of the year. On November 1st, the Church celebrates all the saints: canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in heaven enjoying the beatific

On this weeks podcast John and Shane were delighted to welcome Sr Sean Marie and Sr Mary Dolora of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma Michigan who have recently landed on the banks of the Shannon here in the diocese of Limerick. So we have a sit down with them to find about them and about their religious institute.We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends from the calendar and in part three as always we have our reflection on the weekly Sunday gospel.We had one notice about a November Desert Day - details here.Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, MichiganC&SI was delighted to welcome Sr Sean Marie and Sr Mary Dolora to the podcast this week to introduce us to the religious institute to which they belong, the Religious Sisters of Mercy, Alma, Michigan which is an off shoot of the Religious Sisters of Mercy founded by Venerable Catherine McAuley. The Alma Mercy Sisters were officially founded in 1973 and are now spread across various countries in various ministries but always with the

On this weeks podcast John and Shane were delighted to welcome Sr Sean Marie and Sr Mary Dolora of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma Michigan who have recently landed on the banks of the Shannon here in the diocese of Limerick. So we have a sit down with them to find about them and about their religious institute.The Religious Sisters of Mercy, Alma, Michigan which is an off shoot of the Religious Sisters of Mercy founded by Venerable Catherine McAuley. The Alma Mercy Sisters were officially founded in 1973 and are now spread across various countries in various ministries but always with the focus on living out their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and their particular fourth vow of service of the poor, sick and ignorant. Sr Sean Marie and Sr Mary Dolora share with us their own individual stories of vocation and also a bit about the institute and what it is like coming to Ireland and the present time. 

On this weeks podcast John and Shane were delighted to welcome Fr Roman Lahish CSsR who is the chaplain to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Community in the Mid West of Ireland. We have our regular run through the saints of the week and local notices. Our prayer space this week is from the Word of Life October 2024 from the Focolore Community. In part three we have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel (Mark 10:17-30)    Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the Mid WestWe were delighted to welcome Fr Roman to the podcast this week and chat him about the pastoral work he is doing in the Mid West of Ireland for the Ukrainian community. Fr Roman is actually a member of the Redemptorist community and is based out of Mt St Alphonsus in Limerick city and he shares with us his own back ground and vocation story before sharing the highs and lows of the work he is doing with the Ukrainian community who are refugees in Ireland at this difficult time. Background to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (CNEWA)Facebook pag

On this weeks podcast excerpt John and Shane were delighted to welcome Fr Roman Lahish CSsR who is the chaplain to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Community in the Mid West of Ireland. Fr Roman is actually a member of the Redemptorist community and is based out of Mt St Alphonsus in Limerick city and he shares with us his own back ground and vocation story before sharing the highs and lows of the work he is doing with the Ukrainian community who are refugees in Ireland at this difficult time. Background to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (CNEWA)Facebook page of the UGCC in Limerick (you may new to use translate tool in your internet browser to read) Facebook page of the UGCC in Dublin ((you may new to use translate tool in your internet browser to read) Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Ireland topics

We had a busy podcast this week here on C&SI with a couple of visitors joining John and Shane. In part one, we have our regular run through saints of the week and Sr Caitriona Kavanagh OP joins us to tells us about news from the Dominican community. In part two, Br Justin Robinson OSB joins us from Cairo to share with us about the situation of Christians in the Holy Land and the challenges they face. Part three is our regular weekly reflection on the Sunday gospel (Mark 10:2-16)As our first guest this week, we welcome Sr Caitriona Kavanagh OP from St Saviour's church in Limerick city. Sister Caitriona is a member of the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia whose motherhouse is in Nashville in Tennessee. Sr Caitriona shares with us about the celebration of the 800th Jubilee of the Dominicans coming to Ireland and the Irish Dominican's upcoming pilgrimage to Knock Shrine on October 13 2024. She also tells us about the faith formation work her community does in St Saviours parish in Limerick city and ex

In this weeks podcast excerpt, Br Justin Robinson OSB joins us from Cairo to share with us about the situation of Christians in the Holy Land and the challenges they face. Br Justin Robinson OSB is a Benedictine monk of Glenstal Abbey in Ireland. After studying theology at the Salesian Pontifical University in Jerusalem, he is now undertaking an MA in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University in Cairo. On the podcast this weeks Shane and Br Justin explore who are the Christian communities in the Holy Land looking at some of their history, relations with one another and wider society both Palestinian and Israeli. We focus in on what are their current challenges and what the impact of it means for the wider Christian community around the world and its impact on the Holy Land - the fifth gospel. If you wish to support Christians in the Holy Land you can find some additional information at these sites:Latin Patriarchate of JerusalemAid to the Church in NeedTrocaireFurther information about Christians

On this weeks podcast we are joined by Julianne Moran, General Secretary for the Synodal Pathway of the Catholic Church in Ireland to discuss the Synod on Synodality the second part of which is due to be held in Rome during the month of October 2024.We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends for the coming week, and also our weekly reflection on the Sunday gospel (Mark 9:28-43,45,47-48).Synod on Synodality - Part 2Julianne takes us through the various up coming discussions and the issues to be looked at during the synod based on the working papers issues  by the Synod Secretariat in Rome but also discussing what wont be decided in October  We discuss how the synod work - the "conversations in the Spirit" methodology and ultimately the various topics and issues which will be looked at by the synod delegates. Resources available:The Second Instrumentum LaborisSynod.ie websiteFinal Universal Synod’s Synthesis ReportiCatholic have a lot of video coverage including a very good summary o

On this weeks podcast we are joined by Julianne Moran, General Secretary for the Synodal Pathway of the Catholic Church in Ireland to discuss the Synod on Synodality the second part of which is due to be held in Rome during the month of October 2024. We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends for the coming week, and also our weekly reflection on the Sunday gospel (Mark 9:28-43,45,47-48).Synod on Synodality - Part 2Julianne takes us through the various up coming discussions and the issues to be looked at during the synod based on the working papers issues  by the Synod Secretariat in Rome but also discussing what wont be decided in October  We discuss how the synod work - the "conversations in the Spirit" methodology and ultimately the various topics and issues which will be looked at by the synod delegates. Resources available:The Second Instrumentum LaborisSynod.ie websiteFinal Universal Synod’s Synthesis ReportiCatholic have a lot of video coverage including a very good summary

Finding ways to encourage and help families to pray is always a challenge but on this weeks podcast, Shane and John share some ideas and resources which may be of help to families following on an article in The Radiant by Dixie Dillon Lane - "How to find your family prayer style".We have our regular sharing of the upcoming saints of the week and liturgical odds and ends and a reminder that we are still in the Season of Creation.In part three of the podcast as always we reflect on the Sunday gospel Mark 9:30-37 where Jesus puts forward to us our need to be child like in our relationship with God (as opposed to childish).Finding was to pray as a family"Families that pray together, stay together" is very much a phrase which listeners will be familiar but especially for young families today it seems something hard and difficult to do or to form the habit to continue at it. Prayer is understood the lifting of the heart and minds to God but also as a dialogue with a friend, an encounter with the

Finding ways to encourage and help families to pray is always a challenge but on this weeks podcast excerpt, Shane and John share some ideas and resources which may be of help to families following on an article in The Radiant by Dixie Dillon Lane - "How to find your family prayer style"."Families that pray together, stay together" is very much a phrase which listeners will be familiar but especially for young families today it seems something hard and difficult to do or to form the habit to continue at it. Prayer is understood the lifting of the heart and minds to God but also as a dialogue with a friend, an encounter with the God of Love - and you wouldn't talk to all your friends in the same way, so conversations with God will also be different for each person. And so it is for families in all the their shapes and forms - so this week we try to give some simple ideas  How to find your family prayer styleFamily Friendly Ways of PrayingHow to pray the rosaryMagnifcat prayer magazineM

On this weeks podcast we take a spin around the world with various news items that caught our eye in the news over the last few weeks.We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends for the coming week and of course a reflection on the Sunday gospel which this week is from Mark 8:27-35 which is Mark's account of the confession of faith from St Peter but also Jesus setting out what it means to be a follower of him.News Round-upPopes visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Singapore (Vatican News)Shroud of Turin dates from time of Christ, scientists reveal (Catholic Herald)Sr. Wilhelmina’s body ‘lacks any features of decomposition,’ experts conclude (The Pillar)St. Teresa of Ávila’s Body Remains Incorrupt After Almost 5 Centuries (NCR)Pope Francis Makes Surprise Visit to St. Monica’s Tomb in Rome (NCR)Byzantine New Year on 1 SeptemberUkraine new law on religious associations Breaking with Ukraine Catholics, Pope rejects ban on Russian-backed church (Crux)WCC urges caution with ne

On this weeks podcast we are sharing a reflection from the 2024 Novena for Perpetual Help in Clonard Monastery in Belfast by Marcella Philips on the theme 'Creating a Culture of Care'. We have our regular sharing of the up coming saints of the week, liturgical odds and ends and some notices. For those in Ireland looking to find out about the visit of the  relics of St Bernadette the website is here.In part three we reflect on the Sunday gospel (Mark 7:31-37) where we have to account of the healing of the deaf man who had an impediment in his speech. Creating a culture of careMarcella Philips spoke on 'Creating a culture of care in broken relationships'. She finished by reciting this poem by  Michelle Harverson 'The Shades of Life' which Marcella said encapsulated what she had shared:We all have a storya tale to be toldof the joys we’ve experiencedand the hardships we’ve known.Sometimes we wear themon our sleeves for all to seebut often they’re hiddenas deep as they can be.So, let

On this weeks podcast excerpt we are sharing a reflection from the 2024 Novena for Perpetual Help in Clonard Monastery in Belfast by Marcella Philips on the theme 'Creating a Culture of Care'.Marcella Philips spoke on 'Creating a culture of care in broken relationships'. She finished by reciting this poem by  Michelle Harverson 'The Shades of Life' which Marcella said encapsulated what she had shared:We all have a storya tale to be toldof the joys we’ve experiencedand the hardships we’ve known.Sometimes we wear themon our sleeves for all to seebut often they’re hiddenas deep as they can be.So, let us be kindfor we never truly knowthe struggles and the battlesthat others undergo.May empathy and compassionbe the guiding lights we shareand may we always rememberthat each story deserves care.For in our human journeywe all need love and graceso, let us be kind to one anotherand create a better place.

On this weeks podcast, the C&SI team is joined by Jane Mellet from Trocaire to talk to us this week about the 2024 Season of Creation which starts on 1st Sept 2024 until Oct 4th with the theme "To Hope and Act with Creation". We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends for the coming week and some local notices.Our part 3 as always is our reflection on the Sunday gospel, and this week we return to journeying through the liturgical year with St Mark's gospel. The gospel this week (Mark 7:1-8; 14-15, 21-23) challenges us to ask ourselves the question of whether our actions comes from our hearts or whether we respond social expectations and outward show! Season of Creation 2024 - "To Hope and Act with Creation"In the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, we see the biblical image of the Earth groaning (Rom 8:22). Today we hear the cry of the Earth all around us. The times we live in show that we are not relating to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, but rather as a

On this weeks podcast, the C&SI team is joined by Jane Mellet from Trocaire to talk to us this week about the 2024 Season of Creation which starts on 1st Sept 2024 until Oct 4th with the theme "To Hope and Act with Creation".In the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, we see the biblical image of the Earth groaning (Rom 8:22). Today we hear the cry of the Earth all around us. The times we live in show that we are not relating to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, but rather as a resource to be used. And yet, there is hope and the expectation for a better future. To hope in a biblical context does not mean to stand still and quiet, but rather actively striving for new life amidst the struggles.The Season of Creation has a special significance for the Catholic Church, particularly since Pope Francis established 1 September as an annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation following on the example of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholmew. The Season of Creation is marked throughout the Chri

On this weeks podcast we take a second trip across the Atlantic to Indianapolis in the USA to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress which was held 17th - 21st July  where 60,000 Catholics gathered in Indianapolis. We are sharing a talk given by Bishop Robert Barron about "How you can change the world".We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends of the coming week. We have our reflection on this Sunday's gospel as we have our last reflection on chapter 6 of John's gospel on Jesus' discourse on the Bread of Life.How you can change the worldBishop Robert Barron is the bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN, and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.Speaking on the last night, Bishop Robert Barron emphasized the significance of the Eucharist as the real presence of Jesus and a call to be bearers of His light to the world. He encouraged detachment from worldly goods and living chastely to allow God's grace to flow through us and change society. Barro