Explore every episode of the podcast Our Divine Sparks with Dearbhail McDonald

Fr. Aidan Troy on the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  Children chat about Virgin Mary.  Gina Menzies on the Virgin Mary and assisted dying.  Michael Harding on departure rituals.

This week we ask if the Trump Presidency will reshape the role of religion in public affairs. We delve into the history of secretive papal elections, explore the allure of grand religious ceremonies, and on the anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, we hear about the man Catholic Ireland took to its hearts and hearths.

Michael Kelly on Syria’s religious and ethnic groups. Kathy Donaghy on Christmas without religious rituals. Hugh Turpin on the rise of atheism. Dave Macardle reports on a Dog Carol Service.

Sandra Cullen, DCU on St. Nicholas.  Richard Kearney considers the sacredness of nature in the Irish Celtic tradition.  Siofra Mulqueen on music and spirituality.  Andrea Corr shares insights about her faith.

Children share the wonder of a baby born in extraordinary circumstances.  The nativity and life 2,000 years ago is explored by Fr. Kieran O’Mahony, Rev Gillian Wharton and Zuleika Rodgers TCD.

Archbishop Eamon Martin on Jubilee Year 2025. The Feast of the Epiphany around the world. The Book of Mormon preview by Cara O’Doherty. The power of meditation with Susan Quirke.

Former President, Mary McAleese reviews Hope: The Autobiography by Pope Francis. Frank McNally muses on holy words that have crept into everyday speech.

Maureen Sullivan interview on her time spent in a Magdalene Laundry at the age of 12. Kevin Hargaden essay on the importance of making meaningful apologies. Report on the Hindu Kumbh Mela Festival. US journalist Cal Thomas talks about the inauguration edition of the God Bless the USA bible.

This week, Our Divine Sparks with Dearbhail McDonald remembers the Holocaust.

The inside track on St Brigid- Theologian Gina Menzies. Making crosses and walking in Brigid's footsteps - Report. 50 years of caring for the homeless - Alice Leahy. Being Brigid - essay by Brigid Laffan.

Dr. Umar Al-Qadri on the Aga Khan. Sr. Liz Murphy on St. Josephine Bakhita Patron Saint of Trafficking. Roe McDermott reflects on the essence of love. Myozan Ian Kilroy on his journey to becoming a Zen Buddhist priest.

Can faith revive family life? - David Quinn of the Iona Institute. St Valentine, original matchmaker - Siofra Mulqueen report. Is sex a dirty word in the eyes of God? - Jacob Erickson, Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics, TCD.

Dr. Hans Zollner, global expert on clerical child sex abuse. Using faith to push political agendas – essay by Marion McKeone. Popular culture and religion – Dr. Peter Admirand, DCU.

Gay, Muslim and breaking barriers with Europe’s first inclusive mosque: Imam Ludovic Mohamed Zahed. Matt Talbot centenary - historian Lindsey Earner Byrne. Pancakes and penance – vox pop. Cultivating contentment: neuroscientist Ian Robertson

On the eve of International Women's Day, Gina Menzies on women priests, Siofra Mulqueen visits the Poor Clare Sisters in Ennis, Seema Chauhan on the Hindu festival of Holi and Marie Staunton pays homage to spring flowers.

St. Patrick in his own words. What drove him, how others saw him and how his image was later shaped to match the ideal of an Irish Apostle. Dr. Elizabeth Dawson, lecturer in Medieval History, Carlow College and Thomas O'Loughlin, Emeritus Prof of Historical Theology, University of Nottingham. Reports on sacred sites and animals in world religions.

Saudi soap sparks scandal - Ahmed Al Omran of the FT. Impact of U.S. Foreign Aid cuts - Miriam Donohoe essay from Uganda. Religious tourism - Kevin Griffin, TU Dublin. Philippines report - Fr. Shay Cullen whose Preda Foundation is 50 years old.

The fist millennial saint Carlo Acutis - Fr. Michael Collins. Siofra Mulqueen reports on the mystery of the moving statues 40 years on. Religion thriving against the odds - theologian and Vatican advisor Prof. Anna Rowlands. Pádraig O Tuama pens his memory of Ballinspittle 1985.

1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea where fierce rivalries, power struggles, and a war of words shaped the future of Christianity. Dr. Rebecca Usherwood TCD, Kieran O’Mahony Milltown Institute and Diarmaid MacCulloch Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University.