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: A Christmas Blessing
Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem… He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged...
Fr Paddy: Defending the Eighth Amendment
Christmas is upon us. Soon we celebrate the birth of a vulnerable baby, born into a fragile family.
A family who said "Yes" to life.
Mary...
Fr Paddy: The Greatest story ever told……
About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was the governor...
Fr Paddy: Homelessness is never normal
Another Homeless man living in a tent died in Ranelagh, this week. Citizens deprived of shelter and heat grow daily.
On these desperately cold winter...
Fr Paddy: Advent – A season of preparation for the coming of Christ
My recent book "All Will Be Well" is a personal reflection about my own life told through the lens of faith and hopefulness.
I'm delighted...
Fr Paddy: Potatoes, Eggs, and Coffee Beans – which one are you?
Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going...
Fr Paddy: Portlaoise Midlands Hospital … An essential service
A recent public meeting regarding maintaining essential and lifesaving services, in Portlaiose General Hospital, was extremely well attended.
There was universal consensus, that Portlaoise Midlands...
Fr Paddy: Dismayed to see Advent Calendar with focus on cheap wine!
We are called to holiness.
It is quite amazing that we who have faith and believe we will live forever can sometimes allow ourselves to...
Fr Paddy: November 2017 A Time to Remember
November 2017 is a time to remember all our loved ones who have gone before us. Death is that challenging confrontation that reminds us...
Fr Paddy: Government homelessness plan doomed to fail
Housing is perhaps the greatest challenge this government faces. The chronic lack of social housing coupled with rising house prices intensifies the issue of...
Fr Paddy: Prayer – a sacred gift
In a growing secular world it seems much more Cool to do mindfulness as opposed to pray.
Last week the minister of education announced huge...
Fr Paddy: October … a time to Let Go
This week Portlaoise bid farewell to a wonderful friend of this Town, Hesh Mcormack.
One of his many gifts was his love of poetry. The...
Fr Paddy: Harvest … A time for thanksgivings
Harvest is from the Anglo-Saxon word hærfest, "Autumn". It then came to refer to the season for reaping and gathering grain and other grown...
Fr Paddy pays tribute to ‘inspirational’ Stradbally man
The passing of Bernard Fitzpatrick from our faith community leaves a large loss.
Not just to his beloved family and friends but to so many...
Fr Paddy: The homeless crisis and lessons from the Bible
The problem of homelessness is out of control; it is getting worse every week.
The problem is most acute in Dublin where official figures...
Fr Paddy: World Meeting of Families
In truth, all our families are much more like the Simpsons than the Waltons!!!!!!
Recently Kildare and Leighlin Diocese, launched our initiatives for next year's...
Fr Paddy: Back to School 2017
This coming week is a historic one here in Portlaoise Parish. Children will begin to experience the fantastic new school campus in Aghnaharna, where...
Fr Paddy: Charlie Gard… A precious life
Charlie Gard died after his life-support was withdrawn soon after he was moved to a hospice, denying his parents their "final wish" for him to spend...
Fr Paddy: Education can give us the best possible start in life
Education is a right, not a privilege. It is a right that can make all the difference to a child. Education can give children...
Fr Paddy: How much does a prayer weigh?
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of...
Fr Paddy: August – A time to harvest
The Month of August brings with it the gift of Harvest. In Celtic times, this season of Lunasa was an occasion of thanksgiving.
The Celtic...
Fr Paddy: From God … to all his children
Effective Immediately: Please be aware that there are changes you need to make in your life. These changes need to be completed in order...
Fr Paddy: The cracked pot
Life is a sacred journey. Recently I spent time with a young man terminally ill. His frank honesty and wisdom, grounded me to appreciate...
Fr Paddy: Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes 2017
On Sunday July 16th, Kildare and Leighlin Diocese, will partake in it’s first Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Members from all 56 parishes, will come...
Fr Paddy: Grenfell and the Good Samaritan
The Grenfell Tower inferno is not a natural tragedy, but an unnatural one. It was predicted by those best placed to know the risks.
It was...
Fr Paddy: Gods wings…….Gives Hope
An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God's wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest...
Fr Paddy: Gerard Manley Hopkins … an inspirational Christian life
2017 marks the 30th anniversary of the Hopkins Summer school, taking place in Newbridge College, from July 21-27. This is an occasion for many...
Fr Paddy: Mother Teresa… an icon of love
Mother Teresa was born, 1910, in Skopje, capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Little is known about her early life, but at a young...
Fr Paddy: A change of altitude …
Helen had decided that her best chance of getting hired by a company doing geological survey work in the Alaskan wilderness was to earn...
Fr Paddy: President and Pope…… An olive branch
Last week, Donald Trump met Pope Francis, at the Vatican, on the third leg of his first overseas trip as US president, one year...