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: Lent – A time for true prayer
Lent in lockdown is perhaps enough penance for any of us!!
Living through a pandemic brings huge challenges, not just physically but also emotionally and...
Fr Paddy: Be Not Afraid…
Fear and anxiety about a possible future event or circumstance is often a greater suffering than the suffering we endure when (and if) the...
Fr Paddy: The Hill We Climb
Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in US history, has become an international voice of hope.
She is a hugely inspirational woman. Her voice is...
Fr Paddy: It’s nearly Spring … A Time of Hope
As the evenings lengthen and new signs of life appear in our gardens, we welcome a new spring.
The following ancient story tells how the...
Fr Paddy: Outrageous reference to God … far from funny
The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland recently expressed shock, over what he says is a “blasphemous” satirical clip broadcast on RTE’s New...
Fr Paddy: Light brighter than any Darkness
2020 has been a tough year. For months on end we have been listening out for the figures: how many new cases today? How...
Fr Paddy: Light at the end of the tunnel
Saint Matthew, tells us that the Lord had said through the prophet that the virgin will be with child and they will call him...
Fr Paddy: The Gift of Generosity this Christmas
Christmas 2020 comes after a most challenging year, a year we will never forget. We see light at the end of the tunnel, but...
Fr Paddy: The life of faith also teaches us how to wait
There are many ways to wait. We know many people today who are waiting for the arrival of a better world.
There are those...
Fr Paddy – Advent, a time to hope
Current restrictions are about to lift. Whilst we continue to live in this time of pandemic, I’m really looking forward to the resumption of...
Fr Paddy: Joe Biden … A man of faith
He carries a rosary in his pocket, one that belonged to his dead son, Beau. On Election Day, he went to Mass, as he...
Fr Paddy: The Giver is bigger than the Receiver
I love this story from Katharine Hepburn’s childhood; it’s beautiful, in her own words...
Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were...
Fr Paddy: When Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
November is a time to remember and pray for family members, colleagues, neighbours and friends who have died since this time last year.
Those who...
Fr Paddy: The 10 Spiritual Tips for Winter Lockdown 2020
1. Life is messy (Covid especially: world-wide mess, winter weather, weariness)
The lived experience of life is what makes us who we are. If we...
Fr Paddy: November, a time to remember
2020 has been some roller-coaster, one that will be remembered for generations to come as the year of the pandemic.
As we begin weeks of...
Fr Paddy: All will be well …
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: Pope Francis warns of ‘extremist, resentful and aggressive nationalism’
On the anniversary of St Francis of Assisi’s death, Pope Francis celebrates Mass before the Saint’s tomb and signed his Encyclical “Fratelli tutti”.
Pope Francis,...
Fr Paddy: St Francis – an iconic Saint
Upon his election in March 2013, Pope Francis said: 'Some people want to know why I wished to be called Francis. For me, Francis...
Fr Paddy: Five ways to build faith in challenging times
Whether you’re struggling with the fear and isolation of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic or you’re just having one of those weeks where nothing...
Fr Paddy: The life story of Matt Talbot
Matt Talbot was born May 1856 in Dublin Ireland. He was one of twelve children, six of whom lived to adulthood.
His father was a...
Fr Paddy: The plague of gossip
A woman, pushing on in years, boasted to her pastor that she did not have an enemy in the world. He was very impressed.
What...
Fr Paddy: Students are more than just points
I have a recurring dream, it centres itself around my leaving cert.
I find myself sitting my history exam and not having a clue of...
Fr Paddy: Lord increase 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: Jack Charlton … ”Put ’em under pressure”
Jack Charlton’s recent death left many deeply saddened. An iconic personality, that won the hearts of the Irish people.
He made people believe in themselves....
Fr Paddy: Direct Provision – A failed system
This pandemic is far from over, whilst hopefully it remains contained, on our Island.
Here in Laois we face the second week of restrictions, which...
Fr Paddy: John Hume – An Instrument of Peace
John Hume put his devotion to what was right above what was best for himself, his life’s work was given its ultimate return in...
Fr Paddy – Mind your mind and don’t judge others
I was moved by Brendan O Connor’s interview with Brent Pope recently. Brent spoke of his reflective-time during the lockdown.
He thought of his mother...
Fr Paddy: 19 ways to stay 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 always...
Fr Paddy: Ode to a mouse or a spider
Robbie Burns writes well on the little things. When he was ploughing, he disturbed the home of a mouse. He apologised in a poem....
Fr Paddy: Suicide – a pandemic that continues to devastate
During the past ten days, five lives have been lost to suicide in Laois. Wonderful lives, abruptly ended, leaving behind families overwhelmed with grief...