The OLA Blog
Stories, reflections, and updates from our mission and community life. Here we share reflections, insights and experiences, believing that the simple act of sharing can inspire, connect, and open hearts.
Sr Mary T. Barron appointed Consultor to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
Our Congregational Leader, Sr Mary T. Barron, has been appointed as a Consultor to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. This new role, announced last week by Pope Leo XIV, crowns decades of missionary, congregational, and international leadership, and reflects...
In the Current of the Year
It’s a cliché to say that time seems to pass more swiftly each year, and yet, the cliché doesn’t make it less real. Each day brings its own demands and surprises, and the world demands attention and action. Justice, peace, and the dignity of every living being...
Pope Leo’s Prayer Intentions for 2026
Each month, the Holy Father shares his prayer intentions. These are invitations to bring prayer into action, to carry concern for the world and the Church into everyday life. These prayers are the result of careful discernment. Church leaders and communities from many...
Love in the Flesh – Advent Week 4
Love in the Flesh 📖 Scripture: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” ❤️ Reflection Love is the heartbeat of Advent. It’s the reason for the waiting, the joy behind the promise, and the light that breaks into the world. In this final...
Joy in the Promise – Advent Week 3
Joy in the Promise 📖 Scripture: Luke 1:46–55 (The Magnificat) “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” 🌟 Reflection Joy is not just a feeling — it’s a response to God’s faithfulness. Mary’s song bursts forth from a heart that...
Papiri Abduction: Reports of 100 Children Released
It is being widely reported that a number of the children abducted from St Mary’s School in Papiri may have been released, and we welcome this development with deep relief and hope. Any movement toward the safe return of these children is a grace, and we hold...
Peace in the Waiting – Advent Week 2
Peace in the Waiting 📖 Scripture: Romans 15:4–13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 🍃 Reflection Peace is not the absence of conflict — it’s the presence of Christ....
Hope in the Promise – Advent Week 1
The Light That Grows Advent is a season of waiting — not passive, but expectant. It is the quiet stretch before the dawn, the hush before the song, the stillness where God whispers promises into our hearts. Each week, we light a candle and name a truth that carries us...
Sr Mary Barron OLA Appeals for Irish Government Support Following Abduction at St Mary’s Schools, Papiri
The abduction of pupils, students and staff from St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri continues to cast a long shadow over the entire community. The school, operated by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of...
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