A 77-year-old Kerryman who borrowed €5,000 to donate to the House of Prayer has failed to have his money returned after making accusations against it.Self-proclaimed ‘visionary’ Christina Gallagher,who runs the controversial House of Prayer on Achill Island, has demanded that a Kerry pensioner apologise for making accusations against her if he wants a €5,000 donation returned.
John Kelly, aged 77, from Tralee, borrowed the money from a credit union in July 2007 and gave it to Gallagher.
In September 2010, his daughter, Mary Fitzgibbon, phoned Gallagher’s spiritual director, Fr Gerard McGinnity, to ask about the return of the donation. McGinnity advised her to write to the manager of the House of Prayer.
Two letters were sent, but no reply was received. Kelly wrote again to McGinnity last November, stating: ‘‘The money was given in direct response to an appeal by you. I have learned also that the House of Prayer does not enjoy the confidence of the Archdiocese of Tuam. Cardinal Sean Brady is not taking the cures and miracles to Rome for Vatican approval."
‘‘He is not fully aware of all that is happening and did not know about the sale of the new picture."
‘‘He is not fully aware of all that is happening and did not know about the sale of the new picture."
The picture which Kelly refers to is for sale at the House of Prayer for €250. On the House of Prayer website, it is described as a ‘‘picture with miraculous protection’’, which will protect followers from ‘‘the calamity which will take place during the purification’’.
The website also offers a medal which, it is claimed, can cure cancer.
The House of Prayer’s solicitor, Ian Dodd of Ballina in Co Mayo, wrote to Kelly last December requesting documentary evidence of the donation and seeking an apology for ‘‘grossly libellous’’ allegations.
The House of Prayer’s solicitor, Ian Dodd of Ballina in Co Mayo, wrote to Kelly last December requesting documentary evidence of the donation and seeking an apology for ‘‘grossly libellous’’ allegations.
When Kelly asked what he had to apologise for, Dodd suggested that Christina Gallagher word the apology and explain what it was for. After a number of unreturned phonecalls and emails, Dodd wrote to Kelly on June 24 enclosing a draft apology.
It said: ‘‘I, Sean Kelly, do hereby apologise to Christina Gallagher, the Achill House of Prayer and Fr Gerard McGinnity for remarks and statements made by me about Mrs Christina Gallagher in a letter to Fr McGinnity on the 8th of November 2010 which I accept and acknowledge were untrue and libellous. I do hereby unreservedly withdraw those remarks and apologise unreservedly to Fr McGinnity, Christina Gallagher and all persons associated with the Achill House of Prayer who may have been affected by my statements, and undertake not to repeat such statements or remarks again nor cause same to be repeated by others."
Despite further letters and emails,Dodd refused to clarify the nature of the ‘‘untrue and libellous’’ statements. In a letter to the solicitor on October 6, Kelly said that, ‘‘in conscience, I will not sign the form’’.
He said the credit union loan ‘‘was repaid, at great personal sacrifice, from social welfare payments at a rate of €50 per week’’, and he asked that the money be returned ‘‘unconditionally and in good faith’’.
He said the credit union loan ‘‘was repaid, at great personal sacrifice, from social welfare payments at a rate of €50 per week’’, and he asked that the money be returned ‘‘unconditionally and in good faith’’.
‘‘Many of these people still do not realise that the House of Prayer is a private entity and has nothing whatsoever to do with the Catholic Church," said Kelly. ‘‘It appears that this procrastination is a cynical attempt to use the legal system to avoid returning money."
Kelly said that ‘‘after enduring considerable stress’’, he expected repayment by October 7, but the money was not returned. In a letter dated October 13, Ian Dodd suggested that Kelly propose an apology in his own words and, ‘‘if it is acceptable to our clients,we are prepared to recommend immediate payment’’.
Cardinal Sean Brady wrote to Fr McGinnity during the summer urging that ‘‘this matter be brought to resolution’’. The cardinal told Mary Fitzgibbon tha tMcGinnity ‘‘insists that anyone who requests repayment will be facilitated’’.
Cardinal Sean Brady wrote to Fr McGinnity during the summer urging that ‘‘this matter be brought to resolution’’. The cardinal told Mary Fitzgibbon tha tMcGinnity ‘‘insists that anyone who requests repayment will be facilitated’’.
McGinnity told The Sunday Business Post that ‘‘the money is available to be refunded. However, in his letter Mr Kelly made an accusation which was totally unfounded, false and defamatory. The solicitor [Ian Dodd] is handling it, so it would not be appropriate for me to say anything more on that’’.
Dodd failed to return a telephone call seeking comment.
Dodd failed to return a telephone call seeking comment.
Mary Fitzgibbon has forwarded the correspondence between her father and the House of Prayer to the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, who forwarded details of the complaint to the Garda authorities, ‘‘in accordance with normal practice’’.
A spokesman for the Garda press office said: ‘‘We do not comment on named individuals."
A spokesman for the Garda press office said: ‘‘We do not comment on named individuals."
Following an investigation by the diocesan authorities in 1998, Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam - whose diocese includes Achill - issued a statement which said that the House of Prayer had ‘‘no Church approval, and the work does not enjoy the confidence of the diocesan authorities’’.
The House of Prayer’s three directors -Annette Casey,Bridie Conneally and EithneLavery - resigned in May.