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Pray For Our Sinners: Sinead O’Shea’s tale from the resistance

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The most-watched documentary at Irish cinemas in 2023, Pray for Our Sinners documents filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea’s return to her hometown, Navan, to explore the impact of the Catholic Church on the community in decades past – watch it now via RTÉ Player.

As Pray For Our Sinners makes its RTÉ debut, Sinéad O’Shea revisits her film and explores how she ‘wanted to show how Ireland had worked as I was growing up’.

For some Irish people there has been enough said already about the activities of the Catholic Church.

I understand. I grew up in the countryside outside Navan, then a small town in the midlands, in the 1980s and 1990s.

By the time I was in secondary school, the scandals involving the Catholic Church had begun to emerge, and later I worked on some of them for The Guardian, BBC Newsnight, The New York Times and Al Jazeera English.

It was this familiarity which inspired me to make Pray for Our Sinners. An old schoolfriend, Sinéad Burke, had told me about some of the work undertaken by a husband and wife doctor team in Navan.

I knew this could be a different film.

Watch the trailer for Pray For Our Sinners

Over decades, I would later discover, Dr. Paddy and Dr. Mary Randles had fought against corporal punishment, rescued young women from mother and baby homes and opened a family planning clinic. Along the way they faced opposition from within the town, led by a beloved local priest, Fr. Farrell.

A story of resistance from Ireland in this era is novel in itself but there was more to it than that. I wanted to show how Ireland had worked as I was growing up; how the informal hierarchies operated, how the threat of marginalisation was so frightening for us all.

We began development filming in lockdown. Dr. Paddy had passed away in 2017 and I had spent time chatting with Dr. Mary about her husband’s work. The release of the mother and baby home report in 2021 prompted her to discuss her own memories too and we decided to find some of the people she had helped. This became our film.

Filming Pray For Our Sinners with Dr. Mary Randles

From a logistical point of view, production was difficult but our participants; Dr. Mary, Betty, Edna and Norman were exceptional.

I wanted to honour the quietness and modesty of life then. As I say in the film, it was considered American to complain when I was growing up, and to be honest, I’m still a bit conflicted about this.

At its best, Catholicism suggests there are bigger forces at work than one’s own concerns and there is sanctuary, I think, in this belief.

A story of resistance from Ireland in this era is novel in itself but there was more to it than that.

In practice of course, it often meant that vulnerable voices were overwhelmed by the fears and desires of more powerful individuals but times were not always all bad.

It felt important to achieve a balance, to ensure the film didn’t feel anti-Catholic and to acknowledge the sense of community provided by the Church.

Many of the real harms caused by Catholicism were also facilitated by the State and I wanted to emphasise that some big questions are still unanswered. At Sean Ross mother and baby home, for instance, 1090 babies died but nearly all their remains are “missing.”

It was important to me that people in Navan did not feel undermined. Urban middle classes tend to condescend to those from rural or religious backgrounds. There was great nuance and humour in small town life as I was growing up and I wanted to celebrate that.

We finally finished the edit in May 2022 and I sent it off to the Toronto Film Festival. It had already been rejected as a rough cut from other much less high profile festivals so I was astonished when it was selected.

Sinead O’Shea (and son) at the Hamptons International Film Festival,
where Pray For Our Sinners won Best Documentary

Our world premiere was held in September, three weeks after I gave birth. We then embarked on a tour of US festivals after that, winning Best Documentary at the Hamptons International Film Festival and were nominated for awards in Chicago and Washington DC.

The big test though, would be our screenings at home. We had our Irish premiere in the Dublin Film Festival with Dr. Mary, Ethna, Norman and Betty in attendance.

I think everyone there will remember it. The cinema was so crowded that some sat on the floor. There was weeping but also laughter. At one point, as Mary gave vent to her feelings onscreen, the audience burst into spontaneous applause. Afterwards there were two standing ovations for our stars. It was so genuine, people just wanted to express their admiration.

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Listen: Dr. Mary Randles and Sinead O’Shea talk to Dearbhail McDonald

Our distributors, Break Out, scheduled a cinema release for late April. We were a little concerned that people might not want to see another film about our Catholic past but we hoped the emotion of our Dublin screening might inspire new audiences to come.

We showed first in Navan and this too was an event with great meaning, I think, for both locals and our participants in particular. Their stories, they said, had been told properly, and now they felt seen and affirmed by their community. As Dr. Mary observed of Norman, “he seems to walk a little taller around the town.”

Despite all our worries, there has been an overwhelming response to the film. It is the most attended documentary in Ireland this year and is continuing to screen at festivals around the world. It will soon be broadcast on television around Europe.

Dr. Mary Randles and filmmaker Sinead O’Shea outside the Oireachtas

Dr. Mary and I were even invited to the Oireachtas for a screening there. This left us both feeling a little strange afterwards. Politicians had their photos taken with us but some of them subsequently voted for the deeply flawed mother and baby home redress scheme which has omitted nearly 50% of the survivors.

Now the film will be released on digital platforms in Ireland and the UK, and will find a new audience there.

I hope it inspires some reflection on where we came from, and where we are now.

It’s not hard to join a fashionable cause when that’s what everyone else is doing but Mary, Betty, Ethna and Norman took real risks in a much less forgiving context.

As the film concludes, there is always a way to resist.

Pray For Our Sinners is now available to watch via RTÉ Player.

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Giorgio Armani creations interplay with Italian masterpieces at new Milan exhibition

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24 September 2025

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“Giorgio Armani, Milano, for love’’ at the Brera Art Gallery opens today, mere weeks after the celebrated designer’s death at the age of 91.

Featuring 129 Armani looks from the 1980s through the present day, the exhibition places his creations among celebrated Italian masterpieces by such luminaries as Raphael and Caravaggio.

It is one of a series of Milan Fashion Week events that were planned before Armani’s death, to highlight his transformative influence on the world of fashion.

“From the start, Armani showed absolute rigor but also humility not common to great fashion figures,’’ said the gallery’s director Angelo Crespi. “He always said that he did not want to enter into close dialogue with great masterpieces, like Raphael, Mantegna, Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca.’’ 

Instead, the exhibition aims to create a symbiosis with the artworks, with the chosen looks reflecting the mood of each room without interrupting the flow of the museum experience – much the way Armani always intended his apparel to enhance and never overwhelm the individual.

A long blue asymmetrical skirt and bodysuit ensemble worn by Juliette Binoche at Cannes in 2016 neatly reflects the blue in Giovanni Bellini’s 1510 portrait “Madonna and Child”; a trio of underlit dresses glow on a wall opposite Raphael’s “The Marriage of the Virgin”; the famed soft-shouldered suit worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo, arguably the garment that launched Armani to global fame, is set among detached frescoes by Donato Bramante. Every choice in the exhibition underscores the timelessness of Armani’s fashion. 

Armani himself makes a cameo, on a t-shirt in the final room, opposite the Brera’s emblematic painting “Il Bacio” by Francesco Hayez. 

“When I walk around, I think he would be super proud,’’ said Anoushka Borghesi, Armani’s global communications director. 

Armani’s fashion house confirmed a series of events this week that Armani himself had planned to celebrate his 50th anniversary. They include the announcement of an initiative to support education for children in six Southeast Asian, African and South American countries. The project, in conjunction with the Catholic charity Caritas, is named “Mariu’,’’ an affectionate nickname for Armani’s mother.

In a final farewell, the last Giorgio Armani collection signed by the designer will be shown in the Brera Gallery on Sunday, among looks he personally chose to represent his 50-year legacy.

“Giorgio Armani – 50 Years” opened to the public today at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Italy. The exhibition lasts until 11 January 2026.

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The last day of doomsday: What is the viral ‘RaptureTok’ trend?

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7 hours ago

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24 September 2025

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If you’re reading this today, Wednesday 24 September 2025 could be the last day before the end of the world as you know it.

If you’re reading this tomorrow, you weren’t blipped out of existence and good luck with all the rebuilding. Please do better.

Confused? We’ve got you covered.

According to the more holy corners of TikTok, it has been prophesized that yesterday – or today, they couldn’t make their minds up on which one, so just go with it – is the day of the Rapture.

For the filthy heathens among you, that’s the long-awaited end-time event when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, resurrects all dead Christian disciples and brings all believers “to meet the Lord in the air.”

It wasn’t yesterday, clearly, so today’s the day… And turn off that R.E.M. song, this is serious.

This all stems from South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who claimed that the Rapture will occur on 23 or 24 September 2025. Mhlakela said that this knowledge came directly from a dream he had in 2018, in which Jesus appeared to him. Mhlakela reiterated all of this on 9 September in an interview with CettwinzTV and since then, the prophecy has become a viral sensation on TikTok.

Many individuals on the social media platform have taken this literally and very seriously, with more than 350,000 videos appearing under the hashtag #rapturenow – leading to the trend / popular subsection dubbed ‘RaptureTok’. 

Some videos mock the prophecy, but you don’t have to scroll for too long to find those who are completely convinced that it’s happening today.

There’s advice on how to prepare; tips on what to remove from your house should certain objects contain “demonic energy”; and testimonies of people selling their possessions. One man, who goes by the name Tilahun on TikTok, shared a video last month, in which he said he was selling his car in preparation for the big day. “Car is gone just like the Brides of Christ will be in September,” he said.

One woman in North Carolina was live recording yesterday from the Blue Ridge Mountains, fervently keeping an eye on any holy activity in the sky. Another claimed that her 3-year-old started speaking in Hebrew, thereby confirming that it’s all legit. 

Some more distressing videos include American evangelicals saying goodbye to their children for the last time… We won’t share those, as they’re actually quite depressing.

It’s hard to completely blame TikTok users for wanting the final curtain to drop, as things aren’t going too great down here on Earth. That being said, it’s worth noting that the Bible never actually mentions the Rapture; it’s a relatively recent doctrine that originates from the early 1800s, one which has gained traction among fundamentalist theologians – specifically in the US, where everything is fine, civil conversation is alive and well, no one’s worried, and they’re all enjoying their “God-given freedoms”.

So, if the Rapture does come to pass, we here at Euronews Culture will be eating a whole concrete mixer full of humble pie. If it doesn’t, see you tomorrow, and do spare a thought for those who are going to be very disappointed on Thursday 25 September. 

And if extra-terrestrial beings followed Tara Rule’s advice (see below), thank you alien visitors for joining in on the fun. And if you could provide some much-needed guidance on how to do better, that would be grand.

Only a few more hours left to find out…

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‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunion sees James Van Der Beek make surprise appearance amid cancer battle

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24 September 2025

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The cast of the hit TV show Dawson’s Creek, which ran from 1998 to 2003, came together earlier this week for a reunion charity event in New York City.  

The cast, including Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, took the stage at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Monday evening to read the 1998 pilot episode.  

The evening was to raise money for F Cancer and James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson in the show. Van Der Beek, 48, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer last year, and was unable to attend.

However, he shared that he had an understudy for the evening…

“I DO have an understudy. A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available),” he wrote. “Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient. The role of ‘Dawson,’ usually played by James Van Der Beek, will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that.” 

Additionally, a visibly moved Van Der Beek did appear on screen via video message. 

“I can’t believe I don’t get to hug my cast mates,” he said. “I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theater for being here tonight. From the cast to the crew to everybody who’s doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you – you are the best fans in the world.” 

During the event, Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly and the couple’s children joined the cast onstage to sing Paula Cole’s ‘I Don’t Want To Wait’, which served as the show’s theme song. 

Another surprise during the event was when Steven Spielberg – Dawson’s hero throughout the series – appeared on screen. Check out the director’s message below:

Van Der Beek has undergone chemotherapy and has continued to engage publicly, advocating for cancer awareness and the importance of early detection. He has promoted new screening options and teamed up with Guardant Health to raise awareness about colorectal cancer screening for people under 50.

The video message during the reunion show has sparked concern after fans noticed that the actor appeared visibly thinner compared to earlier public appearances.  

Messages of support flooded social media, with fans praising Van Der Beek’s resilience.

Elsewhere, Holmes and Jackson, who played Joey and Pacey respectively in Dawson’s Creek, are currently working together on a new project, Happy Hours. 

According to Deadline, the forthcoming trilogy is “a story about two people (played by Holmes and Jackson) navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life’s inevitable obstacles. It’s a character-driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope.” 

Holmes is directing, writing and starring in the movie – and the reunion between the two has sparked rumours about a possible romantic rekindling.  

Holmes and Jackson met in the 90s. They were an item and appeared close during the reunion evening. However, multiple sources clarified that Homes and Jackson aren’t back together and enjoy a longlasting and continuing friendship. 

Reflecting on the event, Holmes wrote on Instagram: “I will never find the words for what these three beautiful humans mean to me. For our shared journey. For our everlasting bond. James, Josh, Michelle… from April 1997 – I love you.” 

He added: “James, you got this. We got you. To everyone who supported us from the beginning and who continue to support James and his beautiful family, we thank you. Thank you for last night.”

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