'House of Prayer' to be investigated for fraud

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From today's Times:-

The Sunday Times - June 1st, 2008

House of Prayer to be investigated for fraud
Colin Coyle

The house of prayer on Achill Island, the retreat centre founded by Christina Gallagher, the self-styled Marian Visionary, is the subject of a Garda investigation into four allegations of fraud.

Westport Garda station confirmed yesterday that an inquiry into the activities of Gallagher and her associates has begun.

A number of disaffected former devotees of Gallagher have complained publicly about the fundraising tactics employed by Gallagher and the role of her spiritual director, Father Gerard McGinnity, a parish priest in Co. Louth. Some claim to have been pressured into handing over five- and six- figure sums at a series of secret meetings held in nursing homes.

At a meeting in Multyfarnham, Co. Westmeath in 2005, followers were allegedly told an apocalypse was imminent unless €2m was raised for "a secret project that Our Lady had asked for that would save millions of souls". One elderly lady, who made a formal statement to Gardai in Co. Mayo earlier this month, said "we believe that our money was used to fund Christina Gallagher's lifestyle. We are hoping that more people will come forward now to tell their stories."

Earlier this year, The Sunday Times revealed that the Revenue Commissioners, which stripped the House of Prayer of its charitable tax status in 2006, was conducting its own inquiry.

Disillusioned followers provided tax officials with copies of cheques for five-figure sums made out to companies and bank accounts controlled by Gallagher and her associates.

The sums were supposed to be used to build more houses of prayer in Munster, Leinster, and Ulster, but the retreat centres never materialised.

In recent weeks, a number of former patrons have asked Gallagher to document how their donations were spent, but detailed financial information has not been forthcoming.

Our Lady Queen of Peace House of Prayer (Achill) Ltd., the company that controls the Achill retreat, recently filed its annual return for the year ended March 2006. Although it made an operating loss of €159,562 for the year, the company had accumulated profits of €2,128,592.

The Garda investigation will increase pressure on Cardinal Sean Brady to censure McGinnity, Gallagher's chief advisor. The priest defended Gallagher on RTÉ's Liveline earlier this year, when it emerged she was living in a €4m mansion in Malahide, owned by another prominent House of Prayer fundraiser.

Gallagher's personal wealth is likely to come under scrutiny in the police investigation. Although she has no recognisable source of income, she is the registered owner of a house in Newport, Co. Mayo, and joint owner of a property in Knockmore, also in Mayo. She also bought a €1m property outside Ballina in 2006.

Pompey Magnus

At least this is a bit of good news. Hopefully she will get what is coming to her. I come from the village where so conned the old people out of their money and I really hope she pays for what she has done to them. I saw an interview of an old woman who gave a substantial amount for genuine reasons and was terribly upset at the whole thing.

I assume Christina Gallagher is secretly a non-believer but the Catholic church has an awful lot to answer for in constantly supporting frauds like this and Knock etc.

Akrasia

Depeche_Mode wrote: »

I assume Christina Gallagher is secretly a non-believer but the Catholic church has an awful lot to answer for in constantly supporting frauds like this and Knock etc.

and lourdes and fatima and padre pio and jesus of nazareth....

Pompey Magnus

Akrasia wrote: »

and lourdes and fatima and padre pio and jesus of nazareth....

All included in my "etc" of course .

Dades

Depeche_Mode wrote: »

All included in my "etc" of course .

Wow - that's one damning 'etc' ! :pac:

An Fear Aniar

Well, you know, many Christians (the ones who actually read the Bible) will see this as good news.

Another sign of the end times - the false prophets predicted to appear near the end of time.....



.

Pompey Magnus

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Well, you know, many Christians (the ones who actually read the Bible) will see this as good news.

Another sign of the end times - the false prophets predicted to appear near the end of time......

They should read their history books as well, there have been false prophets who have been leading Christians astray for the last 2,000 years, all the way back to Simon Magus, Marcion, Valentinus, Basilides, Cerinthus and Mohammed to name but a few. Still no sign of the end though .

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

lots of people who think jesus was a false prophet too, end times could be further away than anyone thinks.

Pompey Magnus

Mordances with the proletariat wrote: »

lots of people who think jesus was a false prophet too, end times could be further away than anyone thinks.

Quite right. Jews, of course, have little doubt that Jesus was a false prophet. The Christian notion of the Messiah has no basis in Judaic scripture. Also the Hebrew Bible provided the Jews with a checklist of things the Messiah would do during his lifetime to ensure that the real Messiah would be recognised. Jesus fails to meet pretty much all the requirements eg the real Messiah would rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, he would gather the Jews from abroad and return them to Israel, he would bring about world peace etc etc etc.

Jews are quite bemused by Christian belief that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies set in the Hebrew Bible when in actual fact he achieved pretty much none of them. I mean he wasn't really even descended from David if you accept the virgin birth and that was a big requirement of the real Messiah.

robindch

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Another sign of the end times - the false prophets predicted to appear near the end of time.....

Great -- the end of the world is nigh!

Are you seriously happy that this is on the way soon?

Calibos

I would never do this as I would get a big banning, and I know it would be disrespectful to the Religionists, I really am a nice atheist, honest but....................

when I read stuff like that I have this urge to perform a hit and fade infiltration on the other forums in this section and post in big font and bright colours.....

" You guys really are stark raving bonkers!! "

An Fear Aniar

robindch wrote: »

Great -- the end of the world is nigh!

Are you seriously happy that this is on the way soon?

Wasn't speaking for myself. I don't support any religion.



.

robindch

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Wasn't speaking for myself. I don't support any religion.

Fair enough.

Mena

Hang on, people are complaining AFTER handing money over for:

allegedly told an apocalypse was imminent unless €2m was raised for "a secret project that Our Lady had asked for that would save millions of souls".

?

Fools and their money...

Pompey Magnus

Mena wrote: »

Hang on, people are complaining AFTER handing money over for:
?

Fools and their money...

The worst thing is that they got what they paid for. €2m bribe to stop God destroying Earth...we are still here, aren't we? Looks like Christina Gallagher pulled through for us.

Dave!

Oh f*ck, if the CAB take that money back, god's gonna be p*ssed! :eek: