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A NUN FROM Northern Ireland will be a step closer to sainthood today following a special ceremony in Spain.
Clare Crockett, 33, from Brandywell in Derry, was killed in an earthquake in Ecuador in April 2016 when the building where she had been teaching music collapsed.
She has been described as a larger-than-life character who had been an actor before choosing the religious life and turned down a chance to present on children’s TV channel Nickelodeon to become a nun.
Friends were in disbelief when she declared she was going to be a nun while holding a “beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other”.
She ultimately took her Holy Orders with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother order.
Her motto in life was “all or nothing” and she has previously been associated with fertility miracles.
The opening of the cause for the beatification of Sister Clare is scheduled to take place in the Cathedral of Alcala de Henares in Madrid at 5.30pm local time (4.30pm Irish time).
The ceremony is the first step towards sainthood.
Sister Clare’s sister Shauna Gill told the PA news agency that more than 100 people have travelled to Madrid for the event, which will be livestreamed online and at the Brunswick Moviebowl in Derry.
She said the group includes friends, family, priests and Derry Bishop Donal McKeown, adding: “There’s people we’ve never met before here too so it’s a great experience.”
She said the family is “very proud and excited” and that the ceremony will see her sister declared as a “servant of God”.
“There’s four steps to becoming a saint, so this is the first one. Clare’s life will be investigated before we can move on. No one knows how long it can take, 10 years, 20 years, two years, it depends on how fast things move.”
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“Please consider these six songs as an early Christmas gift,” …when you buy them with your money. Someone explain to Madonna that allowing us to give her money sooner than previously planned is not a gift, it’s a scheduling adjustment.
It’s a gift to her….with interest!
Its really annoying when someone says “Happy Holidays”
Since she isn’t Christian I don’t have an issue with it. She is speaking universally rather than saying Happy Hanukkah.
I don’t expect anyone outside the Christian faith to say Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas.
Apart from pagans of course,who had Christmas hijacked on them by the Emperor Constantine,they can say Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas if they like.
I actually do have an issue with it. All my Hindu relatives wish me a very Happy Christmas and Easter and I as a lapsed Catholic and brought up as a Christian have no problem wish them Happy Holi, Divali, etc. It’s about acknowledging that people come from different religions and traditions rather than trying to pretend they (the religions and traditions) don’t exist. Well, that’s how I feel.
I don’t expect it, its nice when it is done but there shouldn’t be an expectation. That’s unchristian to expect someone to wish you a Merry Christmas when they don’t believe in it. Happy holiday is reasonable.
They are acknowledging it is a festive holiday but the whole Jesus being born on the 25th of December thing may be a bit too much for them to wish you a Merry Christmas which I completely understand.
If you acknowledge their religion why do you have an issue with happy holiday, when it may go against their beliefs? Its contradictory.
If you just wish people happiness when u see em, it covers all the bullsh!t.
Oh do the Christian thing, forgive them.
Artistic rape? Really?
Hope she never has to discover what real rape is
She previously stated she was sexually abused back in the day. Not a fan and have no idea why I stored that information.
What about The X-Factor? Simon Cowell and his crew raped music
Madonna was raped back when she was struggling in New York City in the late 70s early 80s, she answered that question when put to her by an interviewer back in the mid 90s, so clearly she has the right to use the word as a metaphor.
She reminds me of my Nan,bless
I was just thinking that it was a terrible thing to do to an OAP.
I’m looking forward to seeing Nicki Minaj push her around in a wheelchair in the new video,such a sassy granny
It’s a pity the album leaked early, not fair on anyone to have their work shoved out there before they’re ready to release it. Anyway the reviews are positive and as usual the comments above will be ageist and misogynistic.
Oh please, the album didn’t “leak”. It’s all a really pathetic marketing scam for someone who hasn’t had a decent song in about 15 years.
Think about it like this. I never knew she had a new album coming out. I don’t listen to her music. Anyone that reads the news, regardless of their musical preferences, will now know she has a new album coming out.
She could have just left them as is. If they’re not finished, they should serve as a taster for the full finished project.
I like Madonna but as the article says 2014 was a quiet year for her, this could be a publicity stunt
Who’s that young wan on the album cover?
@Lily she she doesn’t know what she wants Catholic to Judaism to Kabbalah she is now studying the Koran.
She is reading the Quran to understand the religion better not to convert you dumb fu€&
She is reading the Quran to understand the religion better not to convert to Islam, you are really stupid.
Daft oul’ biddy.
Who?
Happy Whatever Everybody.
Madonna, please spare us. I love your older music but when you portray your modern image as this person from ‘Tir na Nog’ then I just tune out!!!
have your say