Beth Doherty

Beth is a teacher and former editor of Madonna magazine.

Sainthood for the smartphone generation

14 October 2019 EH

Is it still possible to live a mystical life in a de-mystified world?

The parish of the highway

10 August 2017 EH

For the last two years, a large motor home has become a beacon of hope for the Catholic community of Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, as the mobile base of Fr Richard Shortall SJ.

Prayer blog: Writing down bones and flesh

19 June 2016

In our office, there is a quiet little desk in the corner that is home to piles of books, a coffee cup, and a bespectacled Jesuit called Andy Hamilton SJ. He has a wide circle of friends, many of whom share his passion for writing. When I first met him 12 years ago, I noted that when he frequented events and met with young people, he would open with the line ‘do you like writing?’, and if they answered yes, it would lead to genuine friendship wherein he would mentor and encourage them.

Under an orange sky

1 June 2016 EH

The 2016 Young Australians of the Year – Nick Marchesi and Lucas Patchett – first became passionate about social justice when they were students at St Joseph’s College in Brisbane. With the Orange Sky Laundry, they have found a way to make a real difference in the lives of homeless Australians.

From the archive: Of rosary beads and Ramadan

19 May 2016 EH

A young Catholic and a young Muslim learn they have a lot on common, including a shared devotion to Mary and a love of beaches.

Prayer blog: Lentil Stew and the Bible

13 May 2016

Bowls of lentil stew may not be what many consider the stereotyped Christian dish. There aren’t (as far as I’m aware) any Gospel passages where Jesus tucks into some lentil stew with his latest catch, although assumedly he did at some point.

Prayer blog: In celebration of her

10 March 2016

‘My strength returns to me with my cup of coffee and the reading of the psalms’ wrote Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. These words were likely written between 1960 and 1975.

Prayer blog: Making an Option for God

12 January 2016

The beginning of the year brings all kinds of resolutions and promises. Fresh starts, new commitments, a different outlook. It’s a bit like Lent for Catholics. We might give something up, or take up something.

Prayer blog: All creatures great and small

25 September 2015

Full disclosure here: I rather like cats. The site of a little mangy abandoned kitten can reduce me to sobs. Pope Benedict XVI apparently liked them too, and according to one source confided to the Father General of the Jesuits that the cats hanging around St Peter’s Square were ‘the audience that listened to him.’

Prayer blog: In the silence of the heart

26 August 2015

In 2012, Pope Benedict wrote a letter for the World Day of Communications on silence. It was an unusual departure from the tradition of the previous 10 years, which had focused on the changes in digital media platforms and the Internet.

Prayer blog: Tweet others with love

15 May 2015

Beth Doherty, editor of PrayOnline, reflects on Pope Francis’ twitter phenomen in ‘Tweet others with love: Pope Francis on Social Media’

Prayer blog: When music in the liturgy is not so good

25 February 2015

Those of us who attend parishes frequently have probably experienced the plethora of options ranging from the 85-year old playing the organ with traditional repertoire; the majestic Cathedral choir; or folky choirs complete with guitars, cymbals, triangles and tambourines. But what happens when, regardless of the style of music, it is just not played well?

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Beth Doherty