June 25, 2004
A RAFT of companies linked to low-profile Catholic organisation Opus Dei
are sitting on a property empire worth tens of millions of euro.
Decoding how much these companies' vast property portfolios are worth is
difficult. Spokesperson for Opus Dei, Paul Harman, admitted the prime
properties were worth a good deal more today than when the group bought most
of them in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, he said he could not put on a value on them.
Mr Harman also stressed none of the properties were owned directly by Opus
Dei.
They were, he said, controlled by the companies' directors, many of which, but
not all, were members of the organisation.
The Opus Dei-linked companies have dozens of directors including accountants,
doctors, lawyers, engineers, farmers, teachers, retired civil servants and
priests.
These well-heeled directors, most of whom are not well known, typically live
in the most affluent areas of Dublin.
Better-known names include: Kildare Stud manager Stan Cosgrove, who part-owned
Shergar; property developer Brian McCormick; horse breeder Elaine Banahan and
controversial UCD lecturer Geraldine O'Connor.
Ms O'Connor voluntarily agreed to stop teaching earlier this year at UCD while
it conducted an inquiry into claims she told students they had to attend an
Opus Dei event in order to pass their exams.
UCD refused yesterday to comment on the current status of the 11-week-old
inquiry.
Lismore Educational Foundation Ltd controls the revamped Lismullin Conference
Centre in Navan, Co Meath.
The centre is worth a cool ?10m according to its accounts.
It runs events that it says are "inspired by the spirit of the Opus Dei
Prelature".
By the end of 2002 it had accumulated funds of ?2.8m.
Lismullin was also fortunate enough to get interest free loans of ?3.9m out of
total borrowings of ?7.5m.
Another Opus Dei-related company controls 11 properties in prime locations in
Dublin and Galway.
University Hostels Ltd owns a network of gender-divided residances for
students, priests and lay members of Opus Dei.
The company's Dublin properties are Nullamore in Dartry, 9&10 Hume Street in
Dublin city centre, Harvieston in Dalkey, Riversdale in Monkstown, Knapton
House in Dun Laoghaire, land and properties in Clontarf, No 88 Foster Avenue
and the most recent addition Clerann, which is in Mount Merrion.
In Galway it owns Gort Ard university residence and Ros Geal university
residence.
Despite this huge property portfolio, the company has fixed assets of just
?2.1m.
According to Opus Dei accountant Stephen Dorly, this is because "the accounts
show only what they would have cost".
He said he expected their current value would be "fairly high, I suppose".
Aileach Centres Ltd is the company behind the Glenard University residence
near UCD. Its properties are worth ?6m.
By early 2003 it had built up a surplus of ?4.8m.
Opus Dei-related companies also control a youth centre in Artane and hall of
residence in Limerick.
Around the world, Opus Dei has hundreds of millions of euro worth of
properties.
One of its most recent additions was a $47m tower in New York.
June 22, 2004
Opus Dei founder set to be
honored at St. Paul's Mass
| Kathleen A. Shaw T&G STAFF kshaw@telegram.com |
WORCESTER- Bishop Robert J. McManus, who attended the canonization of St.
Josemaria Escriva in Rome in 2002, will celebrate a special Mass in honor of
the founder of the Opus Dei movement at 7:30 p.m. Friday at St. Paul's
Cathedral.
Bishop McManus will join bishops from throughout New England and the country,
including Cardinal Edward Egan of New York and Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los
Angeles, in honoring St. Josemaria.
St. Josemaria founded Opus Dei in 1928 to help people come closer to God in
their work and daily lives and to spread the message that all people are
called to live holy lives. It is called a personal prelature, which answers
directly to the pope and not to the diocesan bishops.
The organization has members in this area but Opus Dei does not release its
membership lists.
Other U.S. Masses honoring the saint are being celebrated by Archbishop
Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee; Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of the Archdiocese of
Military Services in Washington; Coadjutor Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo of
Houston; Bishop Allen Vigneron of Oakland; Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm
Beach; and Auxiliary Bishops Thomas J. Paprocki of Chicago, Felipe Estevez of
Miami and Jose H. Gomez of Denver.
Masses are planned at parishes in Boston, Dallas, Pittsburgh, St. Louis,
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Providence, Manchester, N.H., Portland, Maine, and on
Cape Cod.
St. Josemaria died June 26, 1975, in Rome and was canonized by Pope John Paul
II in Rome in 2002 before an audience of about 300,000 people. Bishop McManus,
who was then auxiliary bishop of Providence, was one of seven American bishops
at the ceremony.
Pope John Paul II referred to St. Josemaria's canonization in a book published
last month in Italy. In the new book, "Get Up, Let Us Go!", the Pope wrote,
"In October, 2002, I had the joy of inscribing in the canon of saints
Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei, an exemplary priest
and an apostle of the laity for modern times."
Since St. Josemaria's death in 1975, the number of people in Opus Dei has
grown to 85,000 people worldwide, including 3,000 in the United States,
according to Brian Finnerty, communications director in the United States.
Opus Dei has its supporters but some see it as being overly secretive and
encouraging behaviors such as self-flagellation and keeping women in
subservient roles.
Friday, May 28, 2004
Activists try to meet with
bishop
Abuse victim advocates try to meet with bishop
| Kathleen A. Shaw T&G STAFF kshaw@telegram.com |
WORCESTER- Two area advocates for
victims of clergy sexual abuse yesterday unsuccessfully attempted to meet with
Bishop Robert J. McManus to discuss a new program called "restorative justice"
that they believe might help the healing of both victims and abusers.
Mary T. Jean of Leominster, director of the Worcester Voice, and Daniel Dick
of Worcester, victim advocate for Voice of the Faithful, went to the chancery
to meet with the bishop but were told no meeting was scheduled. Mrs. Jean said
they were told by the Rev. Rocco Piccolomini, the bishop's secretary, that
Bishop McManus was "not available to us."
Mrs. Jean said she called Rev. Piccolomini earlier this week and told him they
would arrive at the Elm Street chancery at 11 a.m. yesterday. She announced
her intention to drop in, even though she received no response from the bishop
to her letter asking for a meeting.
Bishop McManus said recently he will meet with various groups that want to see
him once he settles in and gets to know the diocese.
Raymond L. Delisle, spokesman for the Diocese of Worcester, said the bishop
has been unable to meet with them, although he intends to in the future,
because his schedule is full. As newly installed bishop, he has board
meetings, Confirmation ceremonies through next month, meetings with
representatives of the various diocesan departments and ministries, and
graduation ceremonies.
Mr. Dick has been meeting or talking regularly with Patricia Engdahl in the
Office of Healing and Prevention regarding his proposal for "restorative
justice," he said. That office is the bishop's official representative for
these kinds of discussions and he has delegated authority to it for such
meetings, Mr. Delisle said.
Mrs. Jean and Mr. Dick, after not seeing the bishop, held what they called a
cordial meeting with Ms. Engdahl and social worker Frances Nugent to discuss
the program of "restorative justice."
The program is now being used by the Gardner Police Department to assist
victims of sexual abuse and is being adopted churchwide by the Unitarian
Universalist Association, Mr. Dick said. The program would most likely involve
the parishes, he said.
Mrs. Jean said victims often feel intimidated going to the chancery but might
feel more comfortable if they could meet in their own parishes.
She and Mr. Dick said the "restorative justice" program is not the only means
to healing but is something that should be considered along with other
approaches.
Mrs. Jean and David A. Lewcon, who is active in some area victim advocacy
groups, will appear at 6 p.m. today on Bill Coleman's "Talk of the Town" radio
program on WORC-AM (1310) that will also be available on audio stream through
the WORC Web site. They will discuss a variety of issues involving not only
their attempts to meet with the bishop but their efforts to bring healing to
victims in the Worcester Diocese.
The diocese indicated in a February report to the National Review Board of the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that 45 priests had been accused of sexual
abuse in the Worcester diocese from 1960 to 2002.
Mr. Coleman said the clergy abuse scandal is of such interest to area
residents that he is expanding the length of the program and listeners will be
able to call in questions and comments. He said he expects to have Mr. Delisle
on his program at another time to discuss how the diocese is viewing the
situation.
Victim advocates recently formed a coalition that includes Mrs. Jean; Mr.
Lewcon; Mr. Dick; David J. O'Brien, a professor at the College of the Holy
Cross; Boston lawyer Carmen L. Durso, who is handling some civil suits
involving alleged clergy abuse victims; and Fitchburg Police Chief Edward F.
Cronin, who is a member of the diocesan pastoral council.
E-mail us at Worcestervoice@msn.com