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: Celebrating the Feast of Christ the King
This week, we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, we are called to work with this King.
And this King is the one who...
Fr Paddy: Climate change and COP26
The two young ladies were noisy. Vinisha Umashankar and Greta Thunberg.
Vinisha said: “We’ll build the future, even if you are stuck in the past....
Fr Paddy: How prayer can help overcome phobias
Many situations in this pandemic world present themselves as almost impossible: coping with stress, keeping going under pressure, addressing tough health issues, coping with...
Fr Paddy: November – A time to remember
Halloween did not come from Hollywood but rather its origins are strongly connected to ancient Celtic roots.
In Celtic Ireland, about two millennia ago, Samhain...
Fr Paddy: In the name of God
Pope Francis, in a keynote address to the popular movements, a group that includes activists working on a wide variety of justice causes, called...
Fr Paddy: Nine principles for building solid foundations
One key biblical image is that of building solid foundations, making a dramatic distinction between building on rock as opposed to on sand (Matthew...
Fr Paddy: Leave the phone at home
“God brings forth His Son in thee, whether thou likest it or not, whether thou sleepest or wakest; God worketh His own will. That...
Fr Paddy: Celebrating the feast of St Francis
This week we celebrate the Feast of St Francis. St Francis is among the most beloved and most familiar of all the saints of...
Fr Paddy: Wisdom on life
George Carlin at age 102, offered the following wisdom that is deeply relevant for us all.
If you don’t read this to the very end,...
Fr Paddy: Harvest thanksgiving .. A time for justice
Perhaps this harvest time is an opportunity for us all, to acknowledge the fruits that we all have in the depth of our being.
Fruits...
Fr Paddy: Don’t quit…
There was once a bunch of tiny frogs, who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high...
Fr Paddy: Climate Crisis all our concern
‘May you live in interesting times’, it’s said, is a translation of a traditional Chinese curse. Sometimes, like the present, we discover we could...
Fr Paddy: Take a deep breath
The person who has probably done most in the Christian world to promote the idea of concentrating on our breathing as a form of...
Fr Paddy: Ten tips for keeping balance and Minding our mental health
Recent research shows that levels of mental illness, anxiety, and depression are at an all-time high, especially among younger people.
I recently came across these...
Fr Paddy: Olympic Inspiration
Wilma Rudolph is the absolute proof that nothing is impossible.
Born prematurely, in a family of 21 children, with little to no resources to sustain...
Fr Paddy: The giver is bigger than the receiver
I love this story from Katharine Hepburn’s childhood; it is beautiful, in her own words...
“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I...
Fr Paddy: Harvest … A time to give thanks
Time seems to be flying by. It’s hard to believe that August has arrived so quickly!! I pray that this wonderful Season of hope,...
Fr Paddy: Grandparents – a real blessing
This week, in a special way we are invited to reflect on the role of grandparents.
Family is all about ‘connection’, and grandparents are vital...
Fr Paddy: Sadness and anger at the death of Fr Stan Swamy SJ
News of the death in prison of Fr Stan Swamy SJ, an Indian human rights activist, has occasioned great sadness and not a little...
Fr Paddy: Gathering around the table
I was really disappointed for so many children and families who again were prohibited from celebrating baptisms, communions and confirmations.
Our churches continue to be...
Fr Paddy: Don’t judge people before you know them
Pope Francis often refers to the “Poison of Gossip”. Passing on bad news is negative and toxic.
The more at peace we are within ourselves,...
Fr Paddy: There is light at the end of the tunnel
Even though it’s summer, this has the feel of spring about it. We seem to be like calves released from our winter hibernation, stampeding...
Fr Paddy: How the story of The Elephant Man helps us all to understand...
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: 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...