Fr. Peter Daly, writing in the National Catholic Reporter, has some stern remarks about ambition being "one of the worst and most destructive features of clericalism. If we are going to reform the priesthood, we need to tame the demon of ambition and substitute the idea of servant leadership"

 The Association of Catholic Priests is now on Twitter.
 @ACPinIreland

Seamus Ahearne is thinking about recent happenings and the season that's in it. "Beware. Be aware. We cannot set up an elitist version of faith where some belong and the rest don’t.  Faith is messy.  Advent is a search and an awareness of the presence of God in everyone and everywhere."

Tim Hazelwood reviews Ministry Among God’s Queer Folk, LGBTQ Pastoral Care by Bernard Schlage and David Kunitz.
Tim writes "I see it as a valuable textbook which should appeal to all sympathetic and interested caregivers in parishes, schools, hospitals, and other environments. I feel it would be of particularly helpful to Pastoral Supervisors. The named resources and explanations are of great value and the two sexual rating scales are enlightening and useful."
We are grateful to The Furrow for permission to re-publish this article.

Global Sisters Report, a project of the National Catholic Reporter, carries an article by Sarah Mac Donald about Sr. Carmel McEnroy who died recently in Galway.
Sr Carmel McEnroy was author of a groundbreaking work on the role of women in the Second Vatican Council,Guests in Their Own House: The Women of Vatican II.

Dublin Diocese issued a Press Release on Tuesday 03 December about the beginning of a process of significant change in Sacramental Preparation.

Chris McDonnell, writing in the Catholic Times, offers a few thoughts about the season of Advent. "The story of that journey to Bethlehem is mirrored so often in our present day society. Stories of refugee families in transit, struggling to care for young children or newly born infants abound in News programmes. Those living on the streets of this country are a constant reminder of the poverty that exists in our own affluent society."

ACI pilot study highlights serious concern about active lay involvement in parishes and calls on the Irish bishops to commission a countrywide survey to identify the key issues prior to holding a national synod to discern the way forward for the church.

Thinking about some outstanding characters passed a while for Seamus Ahearne on his birthday.
(Happy Birthday, Seamus 🎂)

"Number of children who went through institutions investigated by Ryan Commission is about a quarter of 170,000 previously cited."
In a statement on the commission website on Monday, Mr Justice Seán Ryan said “the commission’s report published in May 2009 contains a seriously erroneous statistic according to the general agreement of relevant experts and bodies.