Never leave the Catholic Church, my mom told me and I never want to. To hold on, no matter what, trusting in God. Praying only for God's will in this situation, because He will take care of it!!
I agree but what if our local churches apostacize & go the full on synodal with the rainbow coalition? In my part of Ireland this has not yet happened yet but its always possible as things are accelerating at an alarming rate & we have a pope who does not seem to want to apply the handbreak.
For this moment I have to stay in the troubles of this day. Yes, things are chaotic, confusing and scarey. But I honestly cannot worry about tomorrow's troubles. It hasn't started in my Parish yet but its coming. I have no answers.
I'm reading about the arson fire at the burial site of St.Patrick, a convent has burned to the ground. And a church. In Downpatrick . . . the Evils are challenging St.Patrick, not a thing to do. I'm afraid there will be a big purge now in Ireland.
Let's be honest about it, Muslims are burning Churches and Cathedrals right across Europe. It is like a hobby for them. Especially in France, but its all over the place.
St Patrick converted Ireland from the druids. Will he fight for Ireland from the Muslim invasion? Seems like a confrontation is brewing .., just an observation. Especially when Holy places are being burned. I hope the Irish people fight back the invasion.
The nuns are getting a terrible time on social media due to the reports on Bessborro mother and baby home. Not sure how much of what is posted is true or whether it is being blown out of proportion. They seem to want to perpetuate the assault on the Church. Every week something old again from the past is brought up and the persecution begins again. It seems to be never ending and the message being portrayed seems to be that the Church is incapable of doing any good whatsoever. No report on the tens of thousands of aborted children that the Irish people voted to accept.
A nun on my husband's side of the family was a Sacred Heart nun and in her final decade was involved in a Mother and Baby home in Cork. She was a beautiful kind person and always spoke with love about those she cared for. One time she told me that a girl on coming to their mother and baby home was advised to use a pseudonym as people from the town a girl came from would ring up looking to check if the girl was there if her absence was noticed from her home. That was small town Ireland. The government set up the adoption laws to protect the identity of the mother. The mother signed legal documents that were required for adoption in which it was stated that her identity was not to be disclosed. At that time an unmarried girl with a baby was not allowed home by her family. It was a cruel system but it was in other countries also. There are many wounded people because of this and it's easy to blame the nuns who were picking up the pieces. It was a system society chose for dealing with children born outside of marriage. Of course things are so much better now. We kill them and we don't even talk about it. It's so tidy there will be very few children looking for their birth mothers.
Many mystics have been told by Jesus to be careful what we say about priests, that they are the apple of God's eyes and that He will defend them with His Justice. The same I am sure goes with nuns who are the Brides of Christ. The worst thing about the internet is people can make all kinds of things up.
The fire was at the old disused convent beside St Patricks chapel in Downpatrick, St Patricks grave is on the other side of the town so not affected
From Cork Beo; 'Sad and historic day' as last Mass celebrated after 84 years at Cork city church The church doors are closed at 84 years in the heart of Cork Sara Rountree Deputy Editor, Cork Beo 12:00, 12 Jul 2026Updated 12:11, 12 Jul 2026 The last-ever Mass at the biggest Catholic church in the city centre was celebrated today. The Bishop of Cork and Ross said it marked a "sad and historic day" in Cork. St. Augustine’s Church is closed after 84 years in the heart of Cork city. A large crowd of parishioners gathered at the Washington Street church for the final celebration of the Eucharist - one of the biggest congregations the church has seen in years. Father Paddy O’Reilly was the principal celebrant at the final Mass celebration on Sunday morning. Bishop Fintan Gavin spoke a few Words of Appreciation at the beginning of the ceremony, paying tribute to the Augustinian friars’ decades of ministry at St Augustine's and the generations of Leesiders who attended there since it opened in 1942. The closure would be a huge loss for many faithful Mass-goers, he said, and shared that the Catholic Church is changing in Cork. While this can bring uncertainty, he said there is hope for a new era. Bishop Gavin said he is "committed to listening to all those who feel this loss most keenly, and to responding pastorally to the needs which this closing leaves behind," and assured people that they would find comfort in the congregation at Saints Peter and Paul’s just down the road at Paul Street. He told the final Mass celebration: "Today is a sad and historic day for Cork. It marks both the closing of this much-loved church and the conclusion of the Augustinian friars’ long ministry in Cork. We gather for the final celebration of the Eucharist in St. Augustine’s Church, which for eighty-four years has stood at the heart of our city as a place of prayer, welcome and peace." The Augustinian Order made the difficult decision to close the church, mainly due to the age of the current friars and the sharp decline in vocations. The changing population of the city centre and the Middle Parish also influenced the decision. They announced the major change earlier this year. Bishop Gavin continued: "On behalf of the priests, deacons and people of the Diocese of Cork and Ross, and on my own behalf, I want to express deep gratitude to the Augustinian friars. "Your presence in Cork reaches back to 1272. Across so many generations, and through very different times in the history of this city, the Augustinian family has been part of Cork’s spiritual, cultural and human life. That ministry was not confined to this church. The Augustinians also served the wider community through chaplaincy in education, in hospitals, and with religious communities such as St Marie’s of the Isle. "Here in St Augustine’s Washington St., since 1942, generations of friars have preached the Gospel, celebrated the Mass, heard confessions, listened to people’s stories and welcomed all who came through these doors. They have offered a quiet space in which people could pray, seek forgiveness, bring their worries to God, or simply sit in his presence. "For many people, St Augustine’s has been a place to which they returned through the years: for daily Mass or confession, in times of grief or uncertainty, or simply for a moment of quiet prayer. For many, it has become a spiritual home. That is why the closing of this church brings a real and deep sense of loss to so many people. "No church can simply be replaced in the affection and memory of those who have prayed there over many years. Nor should we pretend that today is not painful. It is. As your Bishop, I am committed to listening to all those who feel this loss most keenly, and to responding pastorally to the needs which this closing leaves behind: the need for the celebration of Mass, for confession, for quiet prayer, for welcome, for companionship and for a place to encounter Jesus in the heart of our city. "Cork city centre continues to be blessed by the presence and ministry of the Franciscans, Capuchins and Dominicans. Nearby, SS Peter and Paul’s is being renewed in recent years and is a place of daily Mass, 24-hour adoration, prayer, welcome and pastoral activity such as the St. Peter and St Paul’s Young Adult Community and the Emmaus Café as part of the Cathedral Family of Parishes. "I do not mention these things as substitutes for St Augustine’s, or to lessen the sadness of today, because that sadness is real. But they do remind us that the life of faith in our city is continuing in different ways. "In recent weeks, we have seen signs of that life and hope in a very visible way. The visit of the relics of St Carlo Acutis brought people of all ages to prayer. Young people from across the diocese took part in a mission in our schools in the city centre, in parishes and on the streets. "For one hundred continuous hours, people came to Ss Peter and Paul’s to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Then, despite the rain, thousands walked in faith through the streets of Cork for the centenary Eucharistic Procession. "These moments remind us that the Holy Spirit is still at work among us, inviting us to renew our faith and to find new ways of living it, sharing it and handing it on." He continued: "The Church in Cork is going through a time of change. Change can bring uncertainty and sadness. But it can also invite us to listen more attentively to where the Holy Spirit is leading us. The seed of faith which has been sown here over generations will not be lost. The Eucharist celebrated here, the Word of God proclaimed here, the forgiveness received here, the tears shed here and candles lit and the prayers said here have not returned to God empty. "That faith lives on in the lives of those who have prayed here, served here, found healing here and encountered Christ here. "So today, with gratitude in our hearts and with real sadness too, we give thanks for the Augustinian friars, past and present. We ask the Lord to bless them in the years ahead. And we entrust to God all those for whom this church has been a spiritual home. May St. Augustine intercede for us, that in the midst of change our hearts may remain fixed on Christ. "And may the Lord continue to guide the people of Cork and Ross, as together we seek to place him, his Church and his Gospel at the heart of our city."
The lack of vocations strikes again. God bless the friars with new vitality, O Lord. Let not this Order succumb to the plaque of modernism and indifferentism!
Some Religious Orders are doing very,very well indeed, thanks be to God. The ones that are still Catholic that is. Some are dying like flies. The ones that are no longer Catholic.. The Augustinians for instance, the ones who ran his Church, who are no longer Catholic. The Religious Order of which Pope Leo is a member. Why would the Holy Spirit send vocations to people like Pope Leo's Order who are no longer Catholic? https://www.thebostonpilot.com/AMP/amp_article.php?ID=191932 'Meeting March 17 with members of the general chapter of the Augustinian Recollects, an order of men founded in 1588, the pope acknowledged their report that 25 years ago they had more than 1,200 members belonging to eight provinces; today they number 955 members and have only four provinces. A similar phenomenon is occurring in most Catholic religious orders, the pope said, adding, "This is a reality that we cannot ignore." "There are thousands of explanations," he said, including declining birthrates in some traditionally Catholic countries, confusion on the part of young people or a reluctance to make a lifelong commitment "and so on and so forth." While it is important to study the reasons and to continue to invite young people to join, the pope said, religious communities also must plan for a future when they have very few or even no members. "Do not be afraid to ask yourselves this question: When there are no more Augustinian Recollects, when there will not be enough priestly vocations for everyone," the pope said, "have we prepared the laity, have we prepared people to continue with your pastoral work in the church? And you, have you prepared people to carry on with your spirituality, which is a gift from God, to carry it forward?" "I do not dare to be a prophet and say what will happen," the pope said, but the decline in vocations "worries me." "I trust in the Lord," he said, "but I also have to say these things: Let us prepare ourselves for what is going to happen, and let us give our charism, our gift, to those who can carry it forward." "Please let us not try to mend things that cannot be mended because a culture is imposed on us," Pope Francis said.'
