Phil in Paris
12-21-2004, 07:16 PM
ALAN RODEN
A NUN today scooped a £70,000 bonanza just for buying a plane ticket - but is giving the money to homeless people in Edinburgh.
Sister Kathleen Murphy, from St Catherine’s Convent in Lauriston Gardens, won the reward after becoming the 100 millionth passenger to fly with budget airline Ryanair.
She had used the no-frills airline to make a mercy dash to Ireland to see her sick 90-year-old mother, who has since made a full recovery.
Sister Murphy, who has been a nun since she was 16, said her vow of poverty meant she had to take the cheapest air transport option she could find.
The 57-year-old was presented with the cheque by bosses from the Irish airline early this morning, but she immediately said the money would be going to her convent in Edinburgh.
Sister Murphy is committed to helping homeless people in the Capital and she today explained the cheque would be spent on achieving the Corporal Works of Mercy, as described in the Bible.
In Matthew, chapter 25, verses 35 to 37, the Corporal Works of Mercy are listed as feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, burying the dead, and giving alms.
Sister Murphy, who is from County Galway in Ireland and came to Edinburgh three years ago from a convent in Birmingham, said: "On behalf of our congregation, which is called Our Lady in Mercy, I would like to thank Ryanair for this very generous gift towards enabling us to promote mercy in the UK.
"I was shocked when Ryanair first contacted me. I wondered at first whether there had been some mistake, but I eventually realised the call was genuine."
She added: "I felt a huge sense of relief and freedom when I found out I had won, because I knew I wouldn’t have to worry how I was going to spend it. I knew it would go to those who needed it.
"This 100,000 Euros gift will help us enormously and will be donated directly to feeding the hungry and to the service of all the Corporal Works of Mercy."
The St Catherine’s Convent runs a Mercy centre in Lauriston Gardens, as well as helping a nearby charity called the Homeless Outreach Project. At the convent, Sister Murphy is responsible for encouraging spirituality and is bringing out a book next year encouraging women to revitalise their faith in the church.
She added: "It is our mission, on behalf of the church, to carry out works of mercy. We have a centre for homeless people, and also have chaplains working in prisons, which is a very demanding job.
"I received the cheque this morning, but it was only ceremonial as I have already given it to the convent. I hope it will go some way to encouraging greater spirituality."
Ryanair has been running a special promotion to celebrate carrying 100 million passengers since the company was formed in 1985.
All passengers who booked return flights with the airline between September 30 and November 30 this year were eligible for a draw to win the huge cash prize. Over 700,000 passengers took part in the promotion throughout Europe.
Handing over the cheque at the Novotel Hotel, Ryanair’s head of customer service, Caroline Green, said: "We are delighted to celebrate this very special day with Sister Kathleen Murphy, to mark Ryanair’s 100 millionth passenger.
"we are delighted to present Sister Kathleen with her prize of 100,000 Euros - the biggest cash giveaway by any European airline."
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1428752004
A NUN today scooped a £70,000 bonanza just for buying a plane ticket - but is giving the money to homeless people in Edinburgh.
Sister Kathleen Murphy, from St Catherine’s Convent in Lauriston Gardens, won the reward after becoming the 100 millionth passenger to fly with budget airline Ryanair.
She had used the no-frills airline to make a mercy dash to Ireland to see her sick 90-year-old mother, who has since made a full recovery.
Sister Murphy, who has been a nun since she was 16, said her vow of poverty meant she had to take the cheapest air transport option she could find.
The 57-year-old was presented with the cheque by bosses from the Irish airline early this morning, but she immediately said the money would be going to her convent in Edinburgh.
Sister Murphy is committed to helping homeless people in the Capital and she today explained the cheque would be spent on achieving the Corporal Works of Mercy, as described in the Bible.
In Matthew, chapter 25, verses 35 to 37, the Corporal Works of Mercy are listed as feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, burying the dead, and giving alms.
Sister Murphy, who is from County Galway in Ireland and came to Edinburgh three years ago from a convent in Birmingham, said: "On behalf of our congregation, which is called Our Lady in Mercy, I would like to thank Ryanair for this very generous gift towards enabling us to promote mercy in the UK.
"I was shocked when Ryanair first contacted me. I wondered at first whether there had been some mistake, but I eventually realised the call was genuine."
She added: "I felt a huge sense of relief and freedom when I found out I had won, because I knew I wouldn’t have to worry how I was going to spend it. I knew it would go to those who needed it.
"This 100,000 Euros gift will help us enormously and will be donated directly to feeding the hungry and to the service of all the Corporal Works of Mercy."
The St Catherine’s Convent runs a Mercy centre in Lauriston Gardens, as well as helping a nearby charity called the Homeless Outreach Project. At the convent, Sister Murphy is responsible for encouraging spirituality and is bringing out a book next year encouraging women to revitalise their faith in the church.
She added: "It is our mission, on behalf of the church, to carry out works of mercy. We have a centre for homeless people, and also have chaplains working in prisons, which is a very demanding job.
"I received the cheque this morning, but it was only ceremonial as I have already given it to the convent. I hope it will go some way to encouraging greater spirituality."
Ryanair has been running a special promotion to celebrate carrying 100 million passengers since the company was formed in 1985.
All passengers who booked return flights with the airline between September 30 and November 30 this year were eligible for a draw to win the huge cash prize. Over 700,000 passengers took part in the promotion throughout Europe.
Handing over the cheque at the Novotel Hotel, Ryanair’s head of customer service, Caroline Green, said: "We are delighted to celebrate this very special day with Sister Kathleen Murphy, to mark Ryanair’s 100 millionth passenger.
"we are delighted to present Sister Kathleen with her prize of 100,000 Euros - the biggest cash giveaway by any European airline."
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1428752004