Irish Missionary Union
Please update your Flash Player to view content.
Returned Missionaries programme 2012
Returned Missionaries programme 2012
The IMU Returned Missionaries office has just published its programme for 2012. We look forward to seeing all our Returned Lay and Religious Missionaries attend many of the events. Please download the programme here
Vatican Awards Sr. Pat (100)
The Pact of the Catacombs (74)Mission Alive Competiton
We would like to thank you for your entry in the Mission Alive 2011 Competition. The judges were delighted with the entries and would like to thank all schools and participants for their work. Unfortunately, we had to choose winners but all entries received were of a ‘high standard.
Essay Prize
1st Emma Synnott c/o Ms D. Buckley, St. Mary’s college, Arklow, Co Wicklow
2nd Aoife Lafferty c/o Ms Staunton, St. Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon
Creative Prize
1st Orla Kelleher c/o Ms H. Vaughan, Colasite Treasa, Kanturk, Cork
2nd Prize Ciara Walsh c/o Ms Mc Loughlin, St. Louis HS, Rathmines D. 6
Photographic Prize
Antonina Bugla c/o Ms McLoughlin, St. Louis HS, Rathmines D.6
Special Prizes
Andrew Mc Keown, c/o Ms Reynolds, St Mary’s College, Dundalk, Co. Louth.
Laura Donnelly, c/o Ms Cullen, Presentation Sch, Grogan’s Road, Wexford.
Class prize - 5B c/o Ms Fitzgerald, Mt Anville, Mt Anville Rd., D.14
School prize - St. Louis HS, Rathmines D. 6 (Ms Mc Loughlin)
Lent 2012; 40 days with the least...
Lent is beginning, a time of personal and structural conversion, a time for reflection, change and prayer. As in past years, during these forty days we wish to draw near to those who are the least of our brothers and sisters. Please visit the website Lent 2012 40 days with the least and spend one day of lent in prayer with each country
Not our Debt
The Irish Missionary Union and African European Faith and Justice Network- Irish Antenna support the Not our Debt campaign. Click here for the website and facebook page
Look inside
Prayer ResourcesThe Mission Alive desk in the IMU reflects on what our Christian faith informs us about "Mission". Mission Alive hopes to create awareness of what ... Read more |
Pope prayers intentions for 2012VATICAN - The Intentions entrusted to the Apostleship of Prayer for 2012 Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Following are the Intentions that the Holy Father Benedict XV... Read more |
Fruitful reading of the BibleFruitful Reading of the Bible The Bible is all around us. People hear Scripture readings in church. We have Good Samaritan (Luke 10) laws, welcome home ... Read more |
The Missionary RosaryTHE MISSIONARY ROSARY Missionaries consider themselves mandated to bring the message of the Gospel to the whole world, especially in view of promoting peace, justice and ... Read more |
Climate Change Day of Prayer on October 4thA Climate Change Day of Prayer on October 4th - St Francis' Day, has been initiated by the Environmental Issues Network of Churches Together in ... Read more |
Prayer Service to end PovertyEvery year Missionaries and supporters of missionaries over ireland and over the world remember October as mission month. As we start October we call on al... Read more |
Returned Missionaries programme 2012
The IMU Returned Missionaries office has just published its programme for 2012. We look forward to seeing all our Returned Lay and Religious Missionaries attend many of the events. Please download the programme here
News Blog
Bishop Donal McKeown homily for Ash Wednesday
There are many weaknesses in the traditional assumption that over indulgence is ...
Mission Alive
Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2012
Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the World Day of Migrants and Refu...
Justice Office
Letter to Minister ;Access to quality medicines in developing countries
25th January 2012
Access to quality medicines in developing countries: The Anti-C...
Mission Today
India becomes a global mission sending Church
India becomes a global mission sending church
Indian Missionaries in 166 countri...
Fides
ICN
Asia
RTE
BBC
Most Read
|
AMERICA/BRAZIL - "The gaze of the missionary disciple on the global reality of ": the First Encounter for missionary formation has concluded 22 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - the first national Meeting of the missionary formation for Coordinators and Animators of the Diocesan Missionary Councils (COMIDIS) and of the Parish Council Missionaries (COMIPAS) has concluded. The meeting was sponsored by the Mission Cultural Center (CCM) in collaboration with the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) and the Commission for Missionary Action of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil (CNBB), with the aim to strengthen the articulation of missionary organizations, in addition to providing the basic tools so that the missionary animation is effective in all dioceses and parishes in the Country. The event began on Friday, February... READMORE_FEED |
|
ASIA/HONG KONG - Works of love and special attention to disadvantaged groups: the invitation of the Organizing Committee of the Campaign for Lent 22 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – Carrying out works of charity and to give full attention to disadvantaged groups: is the lenten invitation to the faithful of Hong Kong by the Organizing Committee of the Campaign for Lent of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong. According to reports from the Kong Ko Bao (Chinese version of the diocesan bulletin), about ninety teachers in Catholic schools, religious educators and pastoral ministers, attended the presentation of the Campaign, which was presided by Fr.J. B. Tsang, president of the Organizing Committee of the Campaign, who cited the Pope's Message for Lent 2012 entitled "We... READMORE_FEED |
|
EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - Appointment of National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies 22 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, on November 30, 2011 appointed the Rev. permanent Deacon Martin Brunner-Artho, of the clergy of the diocese of Basel as National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Switzerland for the years 2011 to 2016,.
The new national Director was born on May 22, 1963. After primary school and high school, in 1985 he began studying theology in Freiburg which he concludes in 1992 and obtains a licentiate. In 1991 he got married and has two children born in 1996 and 1998. In 1993 he was... READMORE_FEED |
|
ASIA/IRAN - There are fears for the execution of the Christian Pastor Nadarkhani, sentenced to death for apostasy 22 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am Tehran (Agenzia Fides) - There are fears for the execution of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, sentenced to death for apostasy. As reported to Fides by the NGO "Christian Solidarity Worldwide" (CSW), the Pastor’s lawyer is trying to confirm the news of the Pastor’s imminent execution. There are reasonable fears, the NGO notes in a message sent to Fides, the death sentence can be carried out at any time, without notice, and that the authorities merely limit themselves to give the news only after the execution has been carried out, a practice which is not uncommon in Iran.
The Christian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani... READMORE_FEED |
|
AFRICA/CONGO - Outbreaks of cholera and measles within 500 km 22 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am Brazzaville (Agenzia Fides) - The health authorities of the Republic of Congo have recorded 340 cases of cholera, nine of them fatal, since June 2011, in the northern district of Likouala. They also launched the alarm of a further spread and on the instability concerning the medical care of some health centers. Some deaths and suspected cases were not confirmed because of the remoteness of their locations. The epidemic has hit an area with a radius of 500km from Betou to Liranga, including the main town of the department, Impofondo. Moreover, in Brazzaville, in the last two weeks 200 cases... READMORE_FEED |
|
AFRICA/SOMALIA - On the eve of the Summit on Somalia the military option seems to prevail 22 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) - On the eve of the International Conference on Somalia, which opens tomorrow, February 23, in London, from the Country of the Horn of Africa there are reports of intensified fighting. In particular, the intervention has now become clear (at first wrapped in a blanket non so much of secrecy but ambiguous) of the Ethiopian army shoulder to shoulder with the National Transitional Government in the fighting to recapture Baidoa. This city (250 km north-west of Mogadishu), was the seat of the Somali parliament until its capture by the Shabab, in 2009.
In southern Somalia instead the military... READMORE_FEED |
|
Ash Wednesday focus on ‘security’ 22 Feb 2012 | 6:08 pm Two separate services in London on Ash Wednesday afternoon caused Christians to reflect on how they see ‘security’. At the first, more than 100 peace campaigners held their 30th annual prayer vigil outside the Ministry of Defence in London’s Whitehall. Undeterred by light rainfall, they spelt out the word ‘Repent’ in ashes outside the main entrance, deploring the British READMORE_FEED |
|
Forty Days for Life - new vigils and film 22 Feb 2012 | 12:40 pm Forty Days for Life are beginning Lent today with a vigils in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Brighton. This will be their fourth year in the UK and more and more people are taking part. For more information, to join their campaign or sign up to take part in a vigil see: READMORE_FEED |
|
Message from Pope Benedict XVI for Lent 2012 22 Feb 2012 | 12:18 pm "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works" (Heb 10:24) .. The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. READMORE_FEED |
|
YCW Lenten Calendar 22 Feb 2012 | 11:42 am Follow the link below for Young Catholic Worker’s Adjuvo Lenten Calendar, giving you simple steps each day to make the most of the Lenten season. The calendar gives small suggestions of how to give more time to see, to judge and to act on your own lives and the lives of those around the world. READMORE_FEED |
|
Cardinals commend new Carmelite books for Lent 22 Feb 2012 | 11:21 am Cardinal Keith O'Brien and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor have written the forewords to two new books published specially for Lent by Saint Albert's Press, the publishing house of The British Province of Carmelites. Cardinal O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh, has written the foreword to a new book by fellow Scotsman Fr Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm. READMORE_FEED |
|
Fr John Malley, O.Carm RIP 22 Feb 2012 | 11:03 am The Carmelite Family around the world is united in prayer following the death of former Prior General of the Order, Most Rev Fr John Malley, O.Carm. He died unexpectedly on the evening of Saturday 18 February in Tucson, Arizona, in his native United States of America. John Malley was born on 26 July 1930 in Boston, USA. At the end of his novitiate as a READMORE_FEED |
|
“Take Up Your Cross And Come After Me” 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm The announcement that he is the Messiah is followed by Jesus’s firm injunction forbidding his disciples to reveal this to anyone. Even more, Jesus foretells his suffering and death in Jerusalem, a prediction so uncomfortable, that Peter importunes him not to speak like that – and earns a very severe rebuke from his Master ( – and this too, a short while after he had been praised and called ‘the Rock’!).
What is revealed now is the ‘cost of discipleship’ (the title of a well known book by the German theologian Bonhoeffer). It means that the disciple must follow Jesus by... READMORE_FEED |
|
Bishops offer online Lenten retreat 22 Feb 2012 | 7:22 am The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) says it will have another feature for its Lenten season website this year: online retreats.
Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, the CBCP media office director, said the online retreat will be available on visitaiglesia.net starting on Sunday.
“These are video reflections that will serve as alternative catechesis to those who are unable to attend Lenten retreats,” Msgr Quitorio said during the website’s launch today.
However, he emphasized that an online retreat is no substitute for spending a few days in a “monastic atmosphere.”
Msgr Quitorio said retreats are important because they help the faithful understand the... READMORE_FEED |
|
Opposition butts heads with new cardinal 22 Feb 2012 | 7:12 am Statements made by Cardinal George Alencherry in the wake of the killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian mariners have sparked criticism from opposition party members in Kerala state.
Rome-based Agenzia Fides news service quoted the new cardinal yesterday as saying that he “has taken an interest in mediating and seeking a peaceful solution to the delicate situation.”
VS Achuthanandan, head of the Marxist Party in the Kerala legislative assembly, said the criminal case did not warrant mediation.
“Two fishermen were killed…and the cardinal reportedly wants the issue resolved through mediation. If he thinks the Italians are above the law, it’s a heinous... READMORE_FEED |
|
Bengali expats support war crimes trial 22 Feb 2012 | 6:01 am The expatriate Bengali community this week offered its support to the government in the ongoing trial of alleged war crimes committed during the 1971 War of Liberation.
Some 300 Bengalis from 20 countries gathered in Dhaka for the first International Bengali Conference in Dhaka, during which they assured the government of their support and willingness to assist in any way possible.
“The Bengali community at home and abroad would like to build the nation based on the spirit of the liberation war. We are working to raise support from the international community for the trial of war criminals responsible for atrocities during... READMORE_FEED |
|
Religious challenge anti-gay campaign 22 Feb 2012 | 5:28 am A recent campaign by a Muslim youth organization seeking the expulsion of two United States-based gay advocacy groups from the country has drawn criticism from a Religious brother and the head of an NGO.
Br Khushi Lal said no one was in a position to condemn individuals for their sexuality. “We condemn sin of all sorts, but we cannot share the judgment seat of God,” he said.
Br Khushi, who has ministered to sex workers over more than two decades, and particularly transgender communities, said there is historical precedent for the Church’s acceptance of homosexuals and transsexuals.
“I am in talks with several... READMORE_FEED |
|
Probe sought over journalist’s killing 22 Feb 2012 | 4:42 am Media and political groups in Madhya Pradesh are seeking a high level probe into the murder of a journalist and his family.
They say the killings could be linked to the journalist’s outspoken views on illegal mining in the state.
Police found the bodies of freelance journalist Chandrika Rai, 42, his wife and two children in their home in the town of Umaria on Sunday.
The state government yesterday set up a special investigation team to look into the killings. State Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta said the government “is serious about bringing those behind the brutal murders to justice.”
However, Ajay Singh, the... READMORE_FEED |
|
One day London conference on Somalia 22 Feb 2012 | 8:28 pm Representatives from more than fifty governments and international organisations to attend London conference on the future of Somalia. READMORE_FEED |
|
Launch of 'Pathways to Work' initiative 22 Feb 2012 | 8:17 pm The government will launch its Pathways to Work initiative later today. READMORE_FEED |
|
Children facing 12-hour hospital wait time 22 Feb 2012 | 7:07 pm The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has said children are spending over 12 hours on trolleys in hospitals and in some cases are waiting over 24 hours for a bed. READMORE_FEED |
|
49 killed in Buenos Aires train crash 22 Feb 2012 | 6:59 pm At least 49 people were killed and over 600 were injured when a packed commuter train crashed at a station in Buenos Aires. READMORE_FEED |
|
Western journalists killed in Homs shelling 22 Feb 2012 | 6:54 pm US reporter Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik were among 80 people killed by shelling in the Syrian city of Homs. READMORE_FEED |
|
US to review corporation tax rates 22 Feb 2012 | 6:45 pm The Obama administration has proposed a full review of America's corporation tax rates, and suggests cutting the headline rate from 35% READMORE_FEED |
|
VIDEO: Iran novel mixes art and activism 22 Feb 2012 | 6:42 pm Zahra's Paradise is a novel published on the Internet which combines art with political activism. READMORE_FEED |
|
VIDEO: Is Somalian capital on the mend? 22 Feb 2012 | 5:40 pm Ethiopian and Somali troops have taken a strategic stronghold of Islamist militants in south-western Somalia. READMORE_FEED |
|
VIDEO: Argentina train crash kills dozens 22 Feb 2012 | 5:27 pm At least 49 people have been killed in a train accident in Buenos Aires. READMORE_FEED |
|
VIDEO: Tibetans 'should boycott celebrations' 22 Feb 2012 | 5:06 pm In China, many Tibetans are today marking the start of their New Year, but the Tibetan government in exile, has called on Tibetans in the country to boycott any celebrations. READMORE_FEED |
|
VIDEO: Ukraine mourns dead after freeze 22 Feb 2012 | 4:56 pm According to the UN, no European country has born the brunt of the extreme weather more than the Ukraine, where 112 people died. READMORE_FEED |
|
VIDEO: Russians hold pre-election protests 22 Feb 2012 | 4:43 pm Opposition activists in Russia are protesting against the results of the Russian presidential election before the first votes have even been cast. READMORE_FEED |
