Sr Clare Crockett Sr Clare Crockett, a religious of the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, died on this day in 2016. She was only 33. She was a typical religiously disinterested teenager from Derry, Northern Ireland, when she had a completely unexpected and powerful encounter with the Lord on Good Friday in the year 2000. She was a talented actress and budding TV presenter with a bright …
Ireland
April 16, 2021
St Patrick I beg of God whom I love to grant me that I may shed my blood with those strangers and captives for His name’s sake, even though I be without burial itself, or my corpse be most miserably divided, limb by limb, amongst dogs and fierce beasts, or the birds of the air devour it. I think it most certain that if this happens to me, I shall …
March 17, 2021
John McGuinness Contrary to popular perception, there was an extraordinary flourishing of holiness in Ireland in the 19th and early 20th Century. Yes, there were problems in the Church and in the country at that time, but this does not take away from the inspiring witness of so many in that period. Many of the men and women of this period are well known and loved, including figures such …
February 13, 2021
Ellen Organ – Little Nellie of Holy God Kneeling there I asked her what God wanted from me, when I heard an interior voice clearly repeating, “Love Him, love Him.” The following day she seemed to rebuke me, when leaving the cemetery, for the careless way I performed most of my spiritual duties, and to say that God was displeased with this and wanted great fervour and perfection in them. …
February 2, 2021
I would like you to note down in a little book the following things. Every day read each item over and put a little cross after it so that you may have constantly before your mind what you have to do and your faults. 1. Number of aspirations made. Number should be increased slowly but steadily. 2. Number of acts of self-denial. Same remark. 3. Fighting against worry, …
February 1, 2021
Bishop Pádraig O’Donoghue RIP Bishop Pádraig O’Donoghue was born in County Cork in 1934 and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Westminster in 1967. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Westminster in 1993 and was appointed Bishop of Lancaster in 2001, serving in that role until his retirement in 2009. Following retirement he continued his ministry as a priest in Cork, and died at the age of 86 …
January 27, 2021
St Charles of Mount Argus Today is the feast of St Charles of Mount Argus, a Dutch Passionist priest who spent about 30 years of his life in Dublin, dying here in 1893 at the age of 71. He greatly loved by the people of Dublin, primarily because of his humility and simplicity. He was not a great preacher, but he was extremely gentle in the confessional. Like many of those …
January 5, 2021
The greatest thirst of Jesus on the Cross was his thirst for souls. He saw then the graces and inspirations He would give me to save souls for Him. In what way shall I correspond and console my Saviour? The thought has been very much in my mind during this week that Jesus asks from me the sacrifice of all the pleasures of the world — such as summer …
November 6, 2020
Blessed Dominic Collins Darling Mother Mary, in preparation for the glorious martyrdom which I feel assured thou art going to obtain for me, I, thy most unworthy child, solemnly commence my life of slow martyrdom by earnest hard work and constant self-denial. With my blood I promise thee to keep this resolution, do thou, sweet Mother, assist me and obtain for me the one favour I wish and long …
October 30, 2020
I cannot deny that I love Jesus, love Him passionately, love Him with every fibre of my heart. He knows it, too, since He has asked me to do many things for Him, which have cost me more than I should like to say, yet which with His grace were sweet and easy in a sense. He knows that my longing, at least, even if the strength and courage …
October 3, 2020