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Fake visionary Christina Gallagher travels to New York in bid to raise cash

Hose of Prayer founder trying to encourage more Americans to become involved group

Alan Sherry

Yesterday at 23:00

Fake visionary Christina Gallagher has been described as seeking “material wealth in the guise of religion” as she visits the multi-million House of Prayer in New York this weekend while claiming the antichrist is about to take over the Catholic Church.

Gallagher, who founded the controversial House of Prayer in Achill, Co. Mayo, 30 years ago next month, has lived a life of luxury in the intervening decades living in various mansions as followers pump money into her organisation.

Over the years she helped grow the House of Prayer into America, where various offshoots were established – the most recent of which was opened in Brewster, New York, two years ago.

Gallagher was unable to travel over for the opening of the Brewster House of Prayer, which was a former synagogue bought for $2.2m, and instead did a live stream for the opening.

The House of Prayer announced that she and her sidekick Fr Gerard McGinnity were visiting the New York building last weekend and will be back again next weekend as they try to encourage more Americans to become involved.

Devotees of the group are encouraged to buy expensive items from the House of Prayer which are claimed to offer protection through Jesus, who Gallagher claims has officially endorsed the products while also warning the apocalypse is imminent.

As well as making money from the shop, followers have also handed over millions of euro to the House of Prayer in donations and in wills.

Mike Garde of Dialogue Ireland, which helps victims of cultism, has said he is currently working with relatives of people involved in the House of Prayer and former devotees who believe it is purely a money-making operation.

“She has absolutely surrendered to material wealth in the guise of religion,” Mr Garde told the Sunday World yesterday.

“The fact she is going back to America means she has come out of her reclusive stage and is back on the field trying to get finances from members. She is likely using this American trip to kick off her 30th anniversary tour.”

Gallagher regularly claims to receive messages from Jesus, including one just over a month ago in which she claims he told her the Catholic Church was about to be taken over by the antichrist.

“My Church is about to fall into the hands of the antichrist through the authority of those who call themselves ‘the one-world order’,” she said.

“Antichrist is about to take over the Chair of Peter — it has been prepared for him for some time — and a destruction will take place of My Church, of Truth and of My Sacraments.”

She has claimed a number of times that Jesus has told her people will only find salvation if they follow the House of Prayer and will be given extra protection if they purchase expensive items from their shop including 3D picture of Our Lady with the Roses, which sells for €250.

In her latest message from Jesus, she claims he told her people should pray before the expensive picture when the end of days comes.

“It will be the wise who will close their blinds, light a blessed candle before My Mother’s Picture with the roses and pray the Rosary continuously,” she claims