“I’ve been Thinking …” about Fr Gerry Reynolds on his Ninth Anniversary

Today is the ninth anniversary of the death of Fr Gerry Reynolds. While my biography of Fr Gerry was published as Unity Pilgrim: The Life of Fr Gerry Reynolds CSsR in 2019, other stories of his witness continue to emerge.… Read more...

The Churches & Peacebuilding: Address at ‘The Primacy of Peace’ Conference

I delivered an address on ‘The Churches and Peacebuilding – Before and After the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement’ at the ‘Primacy of Peace’ conference on 24 October 2023 at the Marketplace Theatre, Armagh.

The purpose of the conference was to promote … Read more...

The Churches & Peacebuilding: Past, Present and Future

On Tuesday 18 April I participated in a panel on ‘Peacebuilding’ at Queen’s University’s Agreement25 Conference.

You can read the full text of my remarks here.

Image from Clonard Reconciliation ministry, including Fr Alec Reid and Fr Gerry Reynolds… Read more...

Reconciliation Fund Marks Publication of Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles

Last week, the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs hosted a special event in Iveagh House, Dublin, to mark the publication of my book, co-authored with Jamie Yohanis, Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles.

As reported on the Presbyterian Church Read more...

Religion & the University Experience in Britain and Northern Ireland with Mathew Guest and me …

On Thursday 9 March the Queen’s Religious Studies Forum hosted an event on Religion and the University Experience: Perspectives from Britain & Northern Ireland, featuring Prof Mathew Guest (Durham) and me.

You can listen to the audio of our contributions … Read more...

New Post on Slugger: Review of ‘Beauty through Broken Windows’

I have a new post on the Slugger O’Toole blog, a review of a new book called ‘Beauty through Broken Windows’, published on Sunday, the World Day of the Poor.

The book is inspired by the legacy of Edmund Rice, … Read more...

Review of Triangle: Three Novellas of Ireland by Pól Ó Muirí, on Slugger

I have a new post on the Slugger O’Toole blog, a review of Triangle: Three Novellas of Ireland by Pól Ó Muirí. 

The review raises questions prompted by the book, such as: What happens in a society when previously dominant … Read more...

‘The past is not a place to which we would wish to return’: Shannon Campbell on the Unity Pilgrim Resources

In June there was a formal launch of Clonard Monastery’s new ‘Unity Pilgrim’ resources, which are now freely available for use in churches and among young people.

Shannon Campbell, Director of the Catholic Chaplaincy at Queen’s, was the main … Read more...

Learning from Fr Gerry Reynolds and Fr Alec Reid: New Resources for Churches and Young People

The ministries of Fr Gerry Reynolds and Fr Alec Reid, Redemptorists at Clonard Monastery in Belfast, have been recognized as vital to Northern Ireland’s peace process.

Nearly a quarter-century after the Good Friday Agreement, their work of peace remains unfinished … Read more...

Recent posts on Slugger O’Toole: From King Charles III to ‘No Religion’

It has been some time since I posted on this blog. For any faithful followers who still remain, do be aware that I have had several posts on the Slugger O’Toole blog. These include:

Reconciliation: The theme of King Charles’ Read more...

Kroc Institute Lecture: Rethinking the Role of Clergy in Violence and Peacebuilding

Earlier this month, I spoke at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies on ‘Rethinking the Role of Clergy in Violence and Peacebuilding’ (12 April).

The lecture was initiated by the Kroc Institute’s Contending Modernities initiative … Read more...