Fr Paddy
Fr Paddy is the parish priest of Abbeyleix. From Carlow town, he was educated in Carlow CBS and studied Business and Politics in Trinity College Dublin before training to be a priest in Carlow College.
He writes for a number of media outlets. He has almost 31,000 followers on Twitter.
Fr Paddy: November – A Time to Remember
Time moves by too quickly, where has this year gone?!
This week we begin winter time. November is a time to
remember all our loved ones...
Fr Paddy: What will the Amazon Synod do for the Church?
The Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region was controversial long before this Autumn. Self-described
orthodox Catholics have worried over its potential impact far from...
Fr Paddy: Saint John Henry Newman, a wonderful saint
This Sunday, October 13 2019 will be canonized on October 13 2019, in Rome.
Pope Francis decreed that Newman and four other blesseds will be...
Fr Paddy: An ‘Extraordinary Mercy’ – ‘I give you the power of the keys’
Pope Francis made a phone call to a leading theologian and priest who was suspended from active ministry in part over his LGBTQ-affirming work,...
Fr Paddy: Know the importance of pressing the pause button
Time moves by too quickly, this week we will begin the month of October.
Sometimes it’s good to hit the pause button. The following reflection...
Fr Paddy: Life is the coffee – the jobs, money and position in society...
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.
Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in...
Fr Paddy: Transform your difficulties and draw goodness from the negatives
A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to...
Fr Paddy: Suicide prevention remains a universal challenge.
This Tuesday, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day.
Suicide prevention remains a universal challenge. Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of...
Fr Paddy: Will we adapt to climate chaos?
The much anticipated ‘Climate Action Plan’ was recently released by the Irish Government.
The Climate Action Plan arrives as a reaction to both electoral and...
Fr Paddy: Christianity and the scapegoat – a mighty challenge
Christianity is the only religion which worships the scapegoat, the one who is hated, excluded, spat upon, blamed for everything, ridiculed, shamed, and made...
Fr Paddy: Life is a continuous process of letting go, in order to begin...
Recently I had a very sad encounter with a young man just as he was being released from prison.
I stopped to chat with...
Fr Paddy: The Homelessness Crisis
July 19 marked the third anniversary of the launch of Rebuilding Ireland, the government’s plan to address the housing and homeless crisis.
Any honest assessment...
Fr Paddy: The importance of staying positive
Our world screams out for poetry even if it can’t cope with it. Faith can only exist in a world of poetry.
God is...
Fr Paddy: Harvest – A Time of Hope
Recently I was greatly inspired by the kind gesture of a neighbour calling with a bag of fresh vegetables from their garden.
There is something...
Fr Paddy: The ‘Elephant Man’ story demonstrates the power of love and acceptance
The movie The Elephant Man tells the true story of John Merrick. Merrick was born in the slums of England in 1862, and almost...
Fr Paddy hits out at Taoiseach Leo Varadkar following Dail comments on ‘sinning priests’
At a recent exchange about funding for a by-pass in Cork, An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, compared the leader of the opposition to ‘one of...
Fr Paddy: Cardinal John Henry Newman set to be canonized
The Vatican announced recently that Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman will be canonized on October 13th 2019, in Rome.
During a consistory of cardinals July...
Fr Paddy: 10 guidelines for a happy and peaceful Summer for all
This week marks the beginning of our summer holidays for all primary school children. Let’s pray that they will all enjoy a happy and...
Fr Paddy: How to come out on top when faced with adversity
A very clever dog!
A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet dog along for company. One...
Fr Paddy: Martin Luther King’s letter to White Church Leaders
We can wait no longer - Martin Luther King’s Letter to White Church Leaders.
In 1960, Martin Luther King was imprisoned after leading a civil...
Fr Paddy pens words of appreciation after serving in Portlaoise for seven years
Last week we broke the news that popular Portlaoise priest Fr Paddy Byrne is set to leave for a new role as parish priest...
Fr Paddy: Turning Green is being Christian
Recent European and local elections highlighted that our environment and climate change is a fundamental concern among most citizens.
Young people lead this awareness in...
Fr Paddy: Increasing our Faith
You don’t just wake up one morning, light streaming in from the window, birds fluttering about, and jump from your bed with exuberance declaring,...
Fr Paddy: A prayer for students
As we move through the month of May thousands of students prepare for exams.
Exam-time brings with it many mixed emotions and feelings. Soon it...
Fr Paddy reflects on 18 years of being a priest
Vocation is a way of life. Vocation is how we live our lives as followers of Christ.
Vocation is much more than a job or...
Fr Paddy: May – the month of Mary
Mary Queen of the May.
May is marked with 'Alleluias' as we celebrate the Resurrection and live into the Easter joy we proclaim.
May is also...
Fr Paddy: Divine Mercy – A sacred gift
How can anyone argue against Divine Mercy Sunday?
Divine Mercy is hope wrapped up in a loving God, ever ready to embrace us and forgive...
Fr Paddy: Easter – A time to hope
“He is not here, he is risen”, is the signal message which the women receive as they make their way to anoint this dead...
Fr Paddy: 13 steps to ensure you have brighter days
Take just a few minutes and apply one of the tips below and see how it brightens your day.
1. One minute of appreciation
Take a...
Fr Paddy: Parable of the Prodigal Son challenges us all
The story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 1–3, 11–32) has an extraordinary amount of wisdom and good advice packed into it.
Indeed, the more...