Author: JCFJ

With the rise of Far-Right violence, the question of social integration has become a key conversation. But if you want to see integration in action, the first place to go is not a political press conference or a strategic document. Go for a walk on a Sunday morning through Dublin’s north-east inner-city instead. You might hear Yoruba hymns floating out of a converted office block, incense drifting from a Romanian Orthodox service, and gospel choruses in Mandarin echoing from among a row of residential buildings. Step inside any of these communities and you will find the real architecture of integration – ordinary Dubliners mixing with those newly arrived to our shores, building community quietly and transformatively.

Introduction New research by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice and ACET Ireland has identified almost fifty faith-based communities in the north-east inner-city of Dublin. A key aim of the research was to analyse the role of faith-based communities in fostering the integration of migrants, refugees, and immigrants in the north-east inner-city, and how… Read more »

Last January, the Irish Times published an opinion piece by myself and Imam Samsudeen MecSheain: ‘Freedom of religion an empty formula unless places to worship available.’ It drew attention to a new and unfamiliar reality. People who have recently moved to Ireland do something, which we historically did when we were an emigrant people. They… Read more »

The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice is delighted to announce the appointment of Fr Niall Leahy SJ as its new Director. The appointment marks a further investment by the Irish Jesuits in the mission and work of JCFJ. Speaking on behalf of the Board of Management, the Chairperson, Dr Pat Nolan, has given Fr… Read more »

All our prisons are doing is “warehousing” drug users and releasing them again, thereby ensuring that many will return to using drugs and back into prison. 

In 2023, there were 184 deaths on Irish roads. This tragic loss of life included 44 pedestrians, eight cyclists, and three e-scooter users. This year, the figure is likely to exceed 200 people. Public concern is evidenced by the regular media attention to the increase or decrease in the number of road traffic deaths, and… Read more »

This article, by Fr Peter McVerry SJ, originally appeared Reality magazine in 2016. Eight years on and it is as relevant as it ever was. This week Ireland was told to shore up corporate tax laws to prevent wealthy from committing tax fraud and evasion. At the same time, we are rapidly expanding our prison… Read more »

Maybe the reason the Kenny Report is sitting on a shelf gathering dust is that governments do not want to reduce the cost of housing.  Their core voters are home owners who will be horrified at the thought that the value of their house would be reduced, even minimally. But unless they are planning to sell the house, that is a purely paper reduction.

If a climate of fear dominates most public discussion of drug policy, it is often associated with, or justified, by a climate of moral disapproval – drugs are bad, therefore we must eliminate them, we cannot be seen to tolerate them in any way. The war on drugs must continue and any dissenting voices must be suppressed.  

Most prisoners come into prison with an addiction issue, receive little or no help with their addiction, and leave prison with the same addiction issue. And we are surprised when they reoffend!