Fr Paddy
Fr Paddy is a curate in the hugely vibrant Portlaoise Parish. 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 is the youngest priest in the Kildare & Leighlin diocese and writes for a number of media outlets. He has almost 14,000 followers on Twitter.
Fr Paddy: Celebrating the 1,500th anniversary of St Colmcille
St. Colmcille (also known as St. Columba) is one of Ireland's patron saints, a distinction he shares with St. Patrick and St. Bridget.
He was...
Fr Paddy: What is peace of mind? Seven tips to help you achieve it
Peace of mind is a feeling of being safe or protected - it is the absence of worry.
It’s achieving a calm state of mind...
Fr Paddy: A prayer for students during the pandemic
As we move through the month of May thousands of students prepare for exams.
Young people have been particularly affected by this pandemic. Third level...
Fr Paddy: Last will and testament
The celebration of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven is an important feast. It brings with it both promise and hope. These days...
Fr Paddy: Prayer is a sacred conversation
Consult not your fears, but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.
Concern not yourself with what...
Fr Paddy: Things are getting better – a much brighter tomorrow awaits
Mary Robinson has joined more than 150 former heads of state and Nobel laureates in signing an open letter to US president Joe Biden...
Fr Paddy: Blessed Carlo Acutis – Patron of the Internet
I am greatly inspired by the life of young Cathal Clooney Abbeyleix.
His recent death has left an enormous void to his wonderful family. Cathal...
Fr Paddy: ‘Live simply, share generously’ – the impact of Fr Peter McVerry interview...
Tommy Tiernan has inched ahead of Ryan Tubridy in the battle for RTÉ’s weekend viewers after his most recent show clocked up 12,000 more...
Fr Paddy: Easter is a way of life
“He is not here, he is risen”, is the signal message which the women receive as they make their way to anoint the dead...
Fr Paddy: Easter … A time to Hope
It has been a tough year since last Easter, and many people, Christians and others, have found ways of making the best of a...
Fr Paddy: A second Easter in lockdown but still a sacred week
This is our Second Easter, in Lockdown.
As restrictions continue, our television rooms have now become the place where we can participate in Mass, say...
Fr Paddy: Forgiveness and healing
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: St Patrick … An icon of hope
Will we ever forget last St Patrick’s day? Lockdown had just began, we faced a very uncertain future.
Most of us felt frightened and anxious....
Fr Paddy: We need each other
Carole King’s fabulous song Tapestry begins with these words: ‘My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue, an everlasting vision of...
Fr Paddy: Stir yourself – Spring time is on the way
Brendan Kennelly’s poem Begin launches us into our Spring-time.
This past week has seen changes in the weather. The extra light each morning and evening...
Fr Paddy: Renewing Faith, Hope and Love – Pope Francis’ message for Lent 2021
In his message for Lent 2021, Pope Francis focuses on the three theological virtues inviting us to “renew our faith, draw from the living...
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...