Perhaps the most iconic image of Christmas, and rightly so, is that of the Nativity Scene. Displayed in homes and churches the world over; re-enacted in schools and parish halls; soft light falling on the baby Jesus asleep in the hay, being adored on either side by Mary and Joseph. The Holy Family presented to...

As we step into another season of Advent, the air is filled with the unmissable sense of anticipation which the Christmas season traditionally brings. We eagerly await that special day when time seems to pause, allowing us to connect deeply with our loved ones. Yet, amidst the shimmering lights and festive embellishments, there exists the...

As an educationalist, one of my favourite quotations about school leadership was provided by Thomas Sergiovanni when he stated that “Running a school is like trying to get a giant amoeba to move from one side of the street to another. As the “glob” slips off the curb onto the street and begins its meandering...

Sunday 2nd July 2023 – A day the Columba Community will never forget. A day that hearts were warmed. A day that hope rose throughout the North West of Ireland and we witnessed the goodness of God in their lives through the ordination of our dear friend and community member Fr Shaun Doherty. Fr Shaun’s...

The recent fine weather has encouraged us all to get outdoors for enjoyment, health and relaxation.  No better place to be than the Northwest of Ireland when the sky is blue and the evenings are long.  At this time of the year, I always look forward to visiting Saint Patrick’s Sanctuary for the annual Diocesan...

One evening whilst waiting for my son to finish his shift at a local grocery shop, my attention was drawn to a sign in the shop window. It read ‘Service from the Heart’. I wondered about the nature of this service. It is tempting to be skeptical about the service provided by an establishment which...

Optimism is a catchy little word that brings with it much by way of meaning. The Oxford dictionary defines optimism as a feeling that good things will happen and that something will be successful. As we move ever more deeply into this 21st century, it is a word not to be lost in the midst...

Christ Has No Body Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the...

May is the month of Mary, a month of special devotion to Our Lady, associated in years gone by with May altars, processions and devotions. During this month of Mary, the Church celebrates three feasts specially dedicated to Our Lady. The 13th May, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, marks the date of the...

Why celebrate 150 years of worship in Saint Eugene’s Cathedral? An anniversary often inspires us to reflect on the past by examining the journey so far. It can also inspire us to envisage a future, where every member of our parish is valued and helped to live out God’s plan. The city I arrived in...

‘Believe that a further shore is reachable from here.’ These are the words of Seamus Heaney from The Cure at Troy. (Faber & Faber, 2018)  To believe that a ‘further shore is reachable from here’ is to have hope.  It is to realise that there is another horizon – there is another land – there is...

We are just entering the third week of Lent and I am reflecting on the first two weeks – where have they gone, what have I done differently, am I honestly creating more space in my life to listen to Jesus? My plan was to spend more time in prayer in the morning. On most...

Grandparents are a treasure in the family. Please take care of your grandparents: love them and let them talk to your children!” – Pope Francis, July 2018 No matter where you look, it is easy to see the impact that grandparents have on the community, particularly through ‘Grandparents Day’. This is a fairly new, yet...

It’s amazing how quickly time flies by.  Probably because life in today’s world has become so busy, so full of too many things to do, and not nearly enough time to do them all. Here we are, already at the beginning of the last week of Advent.  For those of us who still have so...

As we move towards Christmas, many people will make their travelling arrangements in anticipation of being reunited with friends and family. For many this will not be possible for a variety of reasons, on-going conflict and war, financial constraints and homelessness. When we read Luke’s Gospel, we learn of perhaps the most important journey made...

The events that unraveled in the world over the last two years seem to have created a conscious shift in the hearts and minds of so many around the world. Normal things that once were taken for granted, like visiting loved ones, going to school/work, even going outside for a walk were altered and had...

As we journey through November, we continue to remember our beloved dead and reflect on the words of Pope Francis. We find different ways to remember and pray for the dead and support those who have been bereaved.                                ...

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Heb. 1: 14 In our so called ‘modern’ and noisy world today, one of the world’s most respected Catholic philosophers, Charles Taylor, believes “We have moved from a society where belief in God is unchallenged and indeed, unproblematic, to one in...

Mrs Mitchell’s Primary 5 class at Good Shepherd Primary & Nursery School, Diocese of Derry, took time this week to reflect upon creation.  The Primary 5 children discussed in particular what creation meant to them, and the variety of ways which their senses allow them to experience creation every day.  Here are some extracts from...

What Doherty are you? I remember the first time someone asked me that question when I came to live in Derry as a young adult over 30 years ago. It seemed like an odd question to be asking a complete stranger. Being born and raised in England, it’s a question that would never arise. We...

From I was 4 till I was 51, my life was constructed around the academic year. Whether as a pupil or as a teacher, I was tied by a year that began as August petered out and ended as June promised never-ending lazy hazy crazy days of summer. But one of my favourite poems from...

A number of years ago, on an occasion when I was returning to University, my Mum gave me a Padre Pio card – the quotation read: “There are only two things in this world which will never abandon you: God’s eyes, because they will see you wherever you are, and your mother’s hearth, because it...