The longest day of the year has already passed us by and when we might find ourselves looking out dreamily at the sunshine (or the rain!) we could be tempted to ask ourselves a few questions about our attitude to the topic of rest and leisure.

Welcome to our literary series on the blog “What’s on Our Bookshelf?” where we’re delighted to share our reading recommendations with you. Whatever your genre of choice, we’ve tried to include something for everyone.

Almost everyone in Ireland knows that May is a month dedicated to our Lady - culturally we ‘get’ it in Ireland! We probably all have memories of collecting flowers as children or learning a new hymn for Our Lady in school.

Recently at Mass one Sunday morning, I came across a prayer to Our Lady which began with the following words; “Take my hand O Blessed Mother, hold it gently lest I fall.

The second episode of our prayer series features a special guest, Jonna Schuster, founder of Catholic Revival Ministries.

I remember once having a conversation with another mother, who was understandably exasperated at her children’s inability to get themselves ready for the school day. As we chatted, a few others joined in and agreed that even the simplest of tasks seemed impossible.

We may think prayer is not for people like me. Instead, people who pray are very religious or holy or close to God. In today’s podcast, we explore prayer as a must for someone who wants to get to know God.

Sometimes we can arrive at Holy Week feeling like we’ve lost a bit of the stamina we had six weeks ago, and thus end up feeling a little deflated; like we could have done a bit better. But don’t lose heart - the race isn’t over yet! As St Irenaeus said “God’s power is shown most perfectly in weakness.” We still have time to accompany Him this week.

Welcome to our literary series on the blog, “What’s on Our Bookshelf?” where we’re delighted to share our reading recommendations with you. Whatever your genre of choice, we’ve tried to include something for everyone.

Join us on Hearts+Minds with our Guest Maita Crowe as we unpack the great power of Courageous Conversations. We explore what makes a conversation truly courageous.

Earlier this week, I stumbled across a few Instagram posts extolling the virtues of self-care. Which was probably understandable given the fact that Mother’s Day is celebrated this month and we all know mothers need a little TLC.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the country entered its first lockdown due to the pandemic. One thing that the pandemic brought to light was our tendency to normally be ‘on the go’ – to be busy with something, to be going somewhere, to be meeting someone, to be hurrying from one place to another.

Excitement is brewing in the Hearts+Minds team as our next Overnight Getaway is just days away! The theme for the Overnight is “Forging Meaningful Relationships” and we’re delighted to be welcoming Maita Crowe to deliver not one but two sessions.

The season of Lent is just around the corner. While some of us might have our resolutions for the next forty days set in stone, perhaps some of us are scrambling at the last minute to decide how to make the best use of this time to grow in our relationship with God.

This episode is for you if you are about to get married and are afraid of married life, or starting a family, or going through difficulties in marriage right now. 

With Valentine’s Day looming in the not so distant future, it’s hard to miss the red roses and heart shapes adorning shop fronts and taking over all the advertising! How are you celebrating this day dedicated to all things love and romance? 

Some of you may (or may not) remember from childhood the gospel hymn, When the Saints Go Marching In. In it there’s a line that says “I want to be in that number!” I was reminded of it recently when I took a visit to York Cathedral. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in Britain and it is remarkable.

Are you tired of scrolling dating apps and losing heart that you will ever discover your life partner? Join us as we dig into the top 10 tips for those waiting to date.

There’s something for everyone in the podcast world, on almost every topic imaginable. If you’re in need of something new to add to your podcast playlist, check out some of the shows we’ve been enjoying.

Oscar Wilde once said, “be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” It’s a call to really be the unique and unrepeatable person you are. There is something very compelling about authenticity and the choices we make say a lot about who we are.