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| Mrs. Gallagher's title for our Lady: "The Matrix" |
The followers of phony mystic Christina Gallagher occasionally drop by to post comments denying all charges of wrongdoing against her. This is helpful to me, 'cause I don't follow the case very often, and it serves as a reminder to check out the Irish papers for the latest flap involving Mrs. Gallagher and her international House of Prayer franchise, which is disapproved by the authorities of the Church and the Inland Revenue.
Here are some recent bits of news about the case:
January 2008: The Sunday World tabloid posted splashy photos (pdf) of Gallagher's posh lifestyle: residing in a mansion (not in her name, of course), tooling around in a BMW, etc., and reported on the fundraising campaign (pdf) that appears to have paid for the house.
RTE radio's Liveline show spent a couple of segments talking with callers and with Mrs. Gallagher's laughably evasive spokesman Fr. Gerard McGinnity about Gallagher's lifestyle: an mp3 podcast is online. When asked about the house's wide-screen TV and a Jacuzzi bath for paying guests, the priest explained that Mrs. Gallagher wanted the place to be made as nice as possible for our Lady.
(In a second segment (mp3), a director of the House of Prayer doesn't seem to know much about the HOP's finances.)
February 2008: Abp. Michael Neary (Tuam) issued a letter to all parishes reiterating no Church approval for Gallagher's activities.
March 2008: Irish primate Cardinal Brady was holding "ongoing discussions" with Fr. McGinnity.
For background, here's a 2006 post on the subject.
UPDATE: Thanks to jerry for reminding me to update!
June 2008: While police and tax authorities investigate the House of Prayer, the HOP offers to refund money to dissatisfied donors.
