Fr. Sibley asked me today if I knew anything about the phony mystic Christina Gallagher of Ireland, so I checked around the net to find out whether her bishop had made any statement about her claims of messages from our Lord and our Lady. Now that she's opened a new branch operation in Texas, I suppose we may be hearing more of this.
As it happens, Mrs. Gallagher's from the Archdiocese of Tuam, and the archbishop there has been fairly circumspect, aiming to keep her activities within the modest limits his predecessor permitted, while not banning them outright.
December 1997:
Archdiocesan committee finds no proof of supernatural phenomena.
Abp. sets conditions for establishing a Private Association to bring her activities under closer archdiocesan supervision, including financial.
January 1998:
Bishop orders that confessions and sermons at the House of Prayer cease.
May 1998:
Sunday Masses at her House of Prayer on Achill Island are stopped, though not all Masses.
July 1998:
Gallagher announces she's closing the House; local tourism businesses complain.
Archbishop surprised by closure announcement.
August 1998:
Rick Salbato's newsletter on the closure and Mrs. Gallagher's lifestyle.
September 1998:
House to reopen, Gallagher promises compliance.
September 2002:
Interview, photos: 1, 2
(I tend to believe that real seers don't give interviews, let alone whine like this one.)
July 2003:
10th anniversary gathering.
June 2006:
Austin, TX bishop warns of "House of Prayer" opening without permission, denies faculties to priest supporter.
September 2006:
Layman Ron Conte (FL) points out theological errors, bizarre statements.
Of course, it's harder to do something more bizarre than making a supposedly Catholic religious medal that calls our Lady "The Matrix".
Kook watch is right! I am always pessimistic about private revelations, because there's already so much to learn & know with public revelations. Do you really need something new and fresh when we have 2,000 years of scripture and tradition? Apparently, some do.
"The Matrix" = Bah! The title is a microcosm of "when private revelations go bad"
+J.M.J+
Many years ago, I picked up a copy of one of her books and started leafing through it. I came across a page where she claimed that Jesus revealed to her that, whereas He indwells all Christian souls, the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity in the soul is a special gift only for certain Christians.
This was a clear contradiction of the Church teaching that the entire Trinity - not just Christ - indwells all Christians who are in a state of grace. So I put the book down, convinced that the apparitions were not true.
In Jesu et Maria,
Christina Gallagher is against the Church. The spirit behind her experiences wants to destroy the Church.
I realy feel sorry for all you people the DEVIL has you blinded !! ... Mrs. Gallagher is the real thing. And you are so hurtfull to her and our Lady for not beliving , but that is O.K. you will see in the end ! And her Matrix Medal is for real ... we need all the help we can get in these times,and times to come !
Praise Be to Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Beloved Mother Mary
p.S. She is not against the Catholic Church !!
With the above message, I agree. I've experienced nothing but love and peace from visiting the House of Prayer on Achill. But alas, many a saint is not known until we realize it in Heaven and many years to come on earth. I think it's often best to not argue on this one, but simply live the messages of praying the full Rosary daily and everything else the Church teaches, and leave the rest to God.
Okay, in reply to the above comment, about how Christina's messages must be false because they say something in contraction to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity dwelling within all baptized souls; I don't believe that is what Christina was saying.
"On May 5, 1992, Christina was told by Jesus that the Holy Trinity dwells within her. Although this is recognized theological truth, Christina was not aware of that and she struggled to understand how this can be."
I think you need to check it again, or re-read it, and get further clarification on this. From what I understood it was not saying that only certain Christian souls have the Holy Trinity dwelling within. But it was more along the lines of what Jesus was saying in Gospel of St. John:
"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling within him." (John 14:23)
Here's an update:
Irish Prelate: "House of Prayer" Not OK'd by Church
Achill Center Founded by Woman Who Claims to Hear Virgin Mary
TUAM, Ireland, MARCH 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Tuam clarified that the "House of Prayer," founded by a woman who claims to have been visited by the Virgin Mary, does not have Church approval.Archbishop Michael Neary released a public statement last week clarifying the Church's stance on the Achill Island prayer house, founded by Christina Gallagher, with other sites in the United States and Mexico.
Archbishop Neary explained the situation of the House of Prayer, saying that since 1996, he had established a diocesan commission to "investigate certain claims regarding and emanating from this work."
Gallagher claims to receive regular messages from Our Lady and to have the stigmata.
In 1997, the archbishop noted, "acting on foot of a report from the commission, I issued a lengthy public statement to the effect, in essence, that no evidence of supernatural phenomena had been observed but that the persons involved gave every evidence of good faith. Arising from that, I proposed a basic canonical structure that would gradually integrate the work of the house into the life of Achill Parish and the archdiocese."
However, Archbishop Neary stated: "While this was then attempted by the archdiocese, I became increasingly perturbed by an apparent absence of enthusiasm on the parts of Mrs. Gallagher and her associates.
"The relationship deteriorated to the extent that Mrs. Gallagher, in July 1998, closed the House of Prayer at Achill, expressing to the media at the time a sense of having been harshly treated by the archdiocese. In order to clarify the issue for the faithful I issued another statement, regretting the development and expressing grave misgivings as to the wisdom with which Mrs. Gallagher had been advised and had acted in the matter."
The 61-year-old prelate clarified that diocesan efforts to integrate the work ended in 1998, when Gallagher closed the house.
"Celebration of the sacraments and reservation of the Blessed Sacrament at the House of Prayer are not permitted," he continued. "Any work carried on since then has been entirely of a private nature and has no Church approval whatever. Neither, for reasons given above, does such work enjoy the confidence of the diocesan authorities. Nothing has been brought to my attention to indicate that I should change from this position in the future. Over the years since then, the Tuam Diocesan Office has clearly and consistently replied to enquiries in respect of this work, which Mrs. Gallagher recommenced."
"I respect the faith and devotion of many people who have been impressed by this work in the past, some of whom have expressed their sadness at my stance," the archbishop acknowledged. But, he concluded, "The House of Prayer has no Church approval and the work does not enjoy the confidence of the diocesan authorities."
It is extrordinary that The Archbishop of Tuam and his diocesan authorities- who ever they may be, - can ignore the evidence of their eyes -re the stigmata;the testimony of one of Irelands leading priests- defamed in every way possible by forces inside and outside the Church because of his heroic stand against aberrant pastors, and the unfolding of the consequences of warnings isssued through Christina over the past 15 years. Dont review Christinas veracity, review the events in Irleand that have unfloded since succumbing to a pagan treaty of Masterlicht(spelling?)This behaviour of the complacent approach by her diocese surely mirrors the attempts to keep Medjugorie from Church acceptance even thouigh the Pope himself believed in the visions. I am fearful for those who refuse to hear the pleas of Our Lady through Christina- a peasant chosen precisely because she is so lowly and therefore a fitting messenger for Gods glory to be manifest. If she is not of heaven then she is of the devil: now try and make that stick. His great joy is that he has got the Irish Hierarchy massively infiltrated with his deceptions and duplicity. Pope Pius xi urged us to stand uop and fight for the truth nd our Lady says pray for those who persecute my Son and blaspheme against me. I spray every day for Christina that God and Mary may give her the stength to endure the lies and calumnies against her.
In my opinion Christina Gallagher, her mission thru Our Lady Queen of Peace and all the messages given are authentic. Even within the past 3 weeks I have heard of two wonders of healing and protection thru The Matrix Medal. Those who believe the incredible media attacks should know that The Sunday World newspaper and it's lies and trash gurgitating reporter Jim Gallagher are not interested in truth nor facts. Most of those who oppose Christina Gallagher and who are spearheading these attacks do not even belong to the mainstream Catholic Church. And also that the person who began this campaign of lies, a man called Michael mcCrory is on record in April 2007 as stating that he and his group would use perjury as a weapon. In meantime McCrory has had to flee Ireland in the wake of a lawsuit privately served upon him for defamation of individuals associated with The House of prayer.
That's the calibre of the opposition to Our Lady's work thru Her House of Prayer and Christina Gallagher, the victim soul.
yours etc...Jim L
I've added a post with some more recent news, so I'll close the comments on this old item.