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'''Mary Manin Morrissey''' (born ]) is a ] minister from ], ]. She has served as president of the ].<ref> Retrieved August 31, 2006</ref> In 1995, she hosted an annual congress for the ].<ref></ref> In 1998, she spoke before the ] with ] (grandson of ]) regarding the ].<ref> </ref> She has also participated in interfaith dialogues with the ].<ref></ref> She is the author of "Building Your Field of Dreams",<ref></ref> a book that was adapted as the basis of a ] special titled "Building Your Dreams".<ref> </ref> |
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Mary Manin Morrissey co-founded ], a New Thought ] ], in the 1970s. By the mid-1990s, the church's congregation was variously estimated at numbering between 2,000 and 5,000, making it the biggest New Thought church in the state of Oregon, as well as one of the biggest in the world. Living Enrichment Center closed in 2004 as a result of a $20 million financial scandal. Mary Manin Morrissey's husband, ], pled guilty to ] and using church money for the personal expenses of himself and his wife <ref> Retrieved June 7, 2007</ref>, and spent time in ]. <ref>http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1181267788141050.xml&coll=7</ref> <ref> Retrieved June 9, 2007</ref> |
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Mary Manin Morrissey currently maintains two websites: "Evolving Life Ministries with Mary Morrissey"<ref> Retrieved October 1, 2006</ref> and "Life Soulutions".<ref> Retrieved October 1, 2006</ref> Mary Manin Morrissey's speaking engagements are listed on these websites. Morrissey is also listed on the "Ocean of Gratitude" website as one of the featured speakers.<ref> Retrieved October 1, 2006</ref> |
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==Early life== |
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In her books ''Building Your Field of Dreams'' and ''No Less Than Greatness'', both published by ], Mary Manin Morrissey writes that she was born into a ] home in ]. In various articles and talks, Mary Manin Morrissey claims that she was a popular student at Beaverton High School. But by the end of her junior year, the 16-year-old Mary Manin was pregnant from her boyfriend Haven Boggs. Mary Manin Morrissey writes that she was subsequently required to marry Haven Boggs, and that Beaverton High School required her to leave school and enroll in a night school for ].<ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. Building Your Field of Dreams: ISBN 0-553-37814-7. New York. Random House. 1997.</ref><ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. No Less Than Greatness: ISBN 0-553-89694-6. New York. Random House. 2002.</ref> |
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Janine Robbin of '']'' writes, "The couple's first child, a son, was born midway through Mary's senior year. A second son followed 21 months later; then two more children in 1975 and 1977. Morrissey attended college, getting a degree in elementary education before the couple moved from Washington County to Phoenix, Ariz., where joined her husband in ministry school. After graduating from the ], the couple returned to Washington County, where, in 1980, Morrissey says an 'inner voice told me to take our ministry on the road.'"<ref>]. ''The Profit Margin''] Retrieved September 1, 2006</ref> |
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There is variation in the portrayal of the status of Mary Manin Morrissey's Doctorate of Humane Letters. In at least two cases, Morrissey's doctorate is referenced in a context which could imply that she earned her doctorate as a result of literal ] at a university. In at least one case, Morrissey's doctorate is referred to as an ]. On her official biography on her ''Friends of Mary'' website, Mary Manin Morrissey makes reference to her Doctorate of Humane Letters, but does not cite the university or reference the matriculation or honorary status of the degree.<ref> Retrieved September 1, 2006</ref> The website for ''Ocean of Gratitude'', a ] ] enterprise with which Morrissey became involved during the summer of 2006, contains a biography that also makes reference to Mary Manin Morrissey's Doctorate of Humane Letters, though the degree granting institution is not cited nor is the matriculation or honorary status of the degree referenced.<ref> Retrieved September 1, 2006</ref> A profile of Mary Manin Morrissey on ''The Translucent Revolution'' website does not list the degree granting university, but does state, "Mary holds a master’s degree in psychology, was ordained in 1975, and received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters in 1999."<ref> Retrieved August 1, 2006</ref> |
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==Church founding== |
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] in ].]] |
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"The dream called Living Enrichment Center began in 1974 when I graduated from divinity school in Arizona," Mary Manin Morrissey wrote in ''A Miracle in Motion: The Green Balloon Story''. "I declined offers from five churches to return to my home in Oregon, intent on starting a congregation. Our tiny church, which we called The Truth Center, began in the living room of a small farm in rural Oregon. For five years, neither the farm, nor the ministry flourished. On many Sundays, my former husband and I, also a minister, conducted services only for each other. Even my closest friends kindly told me I was only 'playing' at being a minister."<ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. A Miracle in Motion: The Green Balloon Story. New York. Random House. 1997. Page 13.</ref> |
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Morrissey writes that in 1979, she and her husband took the family on their ministry on the road, offering workshops on building self-esteem in churches around the country. "This was a true adventure in faith, what some might call blind faith", Morrissey wrote. "With only $300 in our pockets, we set out with four children, two cats, and window washing equipment, piling into a travel trailer that we hooked to a multicolored Checker cab. We painted the cab to fit the theme of our workshop, which we called 'Rainbow Connection.'"<ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. A Miracle in Motion: The Green Balloon Story. New York. Random House. 1997. Page 14.</ref> |
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After a year on the road, Morrissey wrote that she felt she received guidance to start a ministry in ]. "I don't know why it is that each of us receives our messages from the ] a little differently," Morrissey wrote. "Some people get an image, some hear a voice, some people feel guidance. What matters is that each of us get in touch with how we perceive the Presence of God. I hear it in a Voice, and over the years I've come to know that Voice, a very calm, quiet, and penetrating resonance. The Voice had said, 'Travel around the country,' and when we were back in Oregon, the Voice said, 'Start a ministry in Beaverton.'"<ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. A Miracle in Motion: The Green Balloon Story. New York. Random House. 1997. Page 16.</ref> |
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Morrissey and her family returned home and began the church in the Beaverton Oddfellows Hall. Morrissey writes that Dycia Samuels, a church management consultant, advised that they name the church to reflect what they aimed to do. "We recognized that our goal was to assist one another in enriching our lives. We became Living Enrichment Center."<ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. A Miracle in Motion: The Green Balloon Story. New York. Random House. 1997. Page 17.</ref> |
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On April 24, 2000, '']'' published an article titled "An Uncertain Future for Migrant Camp" written by staff writer Alex Pulaski. The article concerned the Campo Azul, one of Oregon's most heavily fined ]s, which had become embroiled in a property battle within the Boggs family of Scholls, Oregon, after the death of family matriarch Lorraine Boggs. Pulaski wrote, "Ownership of the property is in a trust controlled by two of Lorraine Boggs' sons, Haven Boggs and Tony Allen, and Allen's wife, Rita."<ref> Retrieved April 7, 2007</ref> Haven Boggs is Mary Manin Morrissey's former husband with whom she founded Living Enrichment Center in the 1970s. |
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Pulaski wrote, "Back in the 1970s, Lorraine Boggs looked at the cluster of blue shacks on her 133 acres and saw what could be: A spiritual retreat for the Living Enrichment Center, guided by her son and daughter-in-law."<ref> Retrieved April 7, 2007</ref> Though the article never refers to Mary Manin Morrissey by name, it is implied that Mary Manin Morrissey is the daughter-in-law in question because in the 1970s Mary Manin Morrissey was Lorraine Boggs' daughter-in-law, then known as Mary Manin Boggs. Mary Manin Morrissey has occasionally referred to the Boggs family farm. In her book ''Building Your Field of Dreams'' Morrissey writes, "After graduating from ministerial school in Arizona, we moved our family to a farm Haven's mother had owned in Oregon. Haven's two brothers joined us, drawn by the lush greenery of the gently rolling hills."<ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. Building Your Field of Dreams: ISBN 0-553-37814-7. New York. Random House. 1997. Page 108.</ref> In her book ''No Less Than Greatness'', Morrissey writes, "My first husband and I had married young and rented, then moved into a farm owned by his family. There we remained for seventeen years."<ref>Morrissey, Mary Manin. No Less Than Greatness: ISBN 0-553-89694-6. New York. Random House. 2002. Page 100.</ref> However, Mary Manin Morrissey had never made reference to Campo Azul. |
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Regarding the conditions of the camp, Pulaski wrote, "The camp's dilapidated state makes it a constant drain on money and energy. Inspectors from the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division, who nearly closed the camp in 1998 because of numerous sanitation violations, found 25 such violations in an August visit last year."<ref> Retrieved August 30, 2006</ref> The article refers to church groups who attempted to improve living conditions of Campo Azul. Living Enrichment Center is not listed among the church groups. |
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]'s right hand. Also pictured are various other New Thought ministers, such as Rev. ].]] |
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After her divorce from Haven Boggs in the early ]s, Mary Manin Boggs married ]. She eventually became the Senior Minister, and the church eventually grew to become the largest New Thought church in the state of Oregon, as well as one of the largest New Thought churches throughout the entire world. Various media reports have estimated Living Enrichment Center's congregation as numbering between 2,000 to 5,000 members. Additionally, Mary Manin Morrissey's Sunday sermons at LEC were broadcast to a ] market available to an estimated 2 million homes on the ].<ref> </ref> The Portland, Oregon, media often referred to Living Enrichment Center as a "]". In the 2003 promotional video for Living Enrichment Center called "]", Rev. Christian Sorenson claims that Living Enrichment Center had replaced ] as the "]" for the ].<ref>What the World Now Needs. 2003. Living Enrichment Center.</ref><ref>Image:Whattheworldnowneeds2.jpg</ref> <!-- Please note, Rev. Christian Sorenson's claim is made in the third segment of the LEC promotional video called "What the World Now Needs". This promotional video has been uploaded to YouTube. A link to the video was previously provided in this article, but some editors have subsequently removed the link. The link may still be found on YouTube by searching for "Living Enrichment Center." --> |
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Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey eventually became a well known and respected figure within the New Thought and ] movements. For a time, she served as president of the ]. She also became well respected for her ability to "network" with many famous speakers in her genre, such as ], ], ], ], and ], all of whom spoke at Living Enrichment Center. (Jean Houston came to fame in the early 1990s for encouraging first lady ] to "talk to" ].) Mary Morrissey became a founding member of the "Season for Nonviolence",<ref>http://www.gandhiinstitute.org/Library/LibraryItem.cfm?LibraryID=850</ref> and addressed the ] with ], grandson of ], regarding the need to teach peaceful resolutions to conflicts. Mary Morrissey also participated in interfaith dialogues with the ].<ref>http://www.synthesisdialogues.org/</ref> |
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As part of a plea bargain with the state of Oregon, Mary Manin Morrissey has agreed to repay $10 million in loans from the congregation. In the August 28, 2006 edition of '']'', editor Curt Kipp wrote that Mary Manin Morrissey has repaid $24,000 of the debt.<ref> Retrieved August 28, 2006</ref> |
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In a 2004 ] to '']'', Steve Unger, Mary Manin Morrissey's attorney, wrote that Mary Manin Morrissey and her husband ] had committed ], and that "the finances of LEC, New Thought Broadcasting, Mary Morrissey and Ed Morrissey were treated not separately, but as a kind of 'financial family.'"<ref> Retrieved August 30, 2006</ref> In 2005, Edward Morrissey, a ] and the former ] of Living Enrichment Center, pled guilty to ] and using church funds for the personal expenses of himself and his wife. After a year in prison at ], in August, 2006, Edward Morrissey was transferred to a ] ]. Edward Morrissey was released from the Seattle halfway house on February 2, ].<ref> </ref> Both Mary Manin Morrissey and Edward Morrissey have ]s against them, prohibiting them from heading or being agents in ] organizations. Both are also prohibited from selling ].<ref> Retrieved August 29, 2006</ref> In the October 16, 2006, '']'' article "Forgiveness, for minister, starts with self", staff writer S. Renee Mitchell indicated that Mary Morrissey and Ed Morrissey have divorced. Mitchell wrote, "When the smoke cleared, Morrissey — who had once cozied up to the Dalai Lama and other world spiritual leaders — was divorced, houseless and in debt for more than $10 million."<ref> Oregonian article, retrieved Feb. 13, 2007</ref> |
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==Financial scandal and church closure== |
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During its various incarnations from the ]s until the ]s, Living Enrichment Center held services in various locations in the Portland, Oregon, area. For a time, services were held at Valley Theatre in ], and even in a tent in a parking lot in Tigard, Oregon. Eventually, in ], Living Enrichment Center moved to the abandoned Callahan Center in ], adjacent to ] on the outskirts of the city. LEC's Wilsonville headquarters consisted of a three-level 94,000 square foot building on a 93-acre lot. The lot also included 13 cabins, with over 60 rooms, which were used for spiritual retreats conducted via LEC's sister organization, ]. |
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Shortly after its move to the Wilsonville property, Living Enrichment Center began to experience a series of financial problems that would eventually result in its closure little more than a decade later. |
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Donation drives and various other means of encouraging congregation contributions were a cornerstone of the church. But by 2003, the church's financial situation had deteriorated to a point beyond recovery. In November of 2003, Mary Manin Morrissey told her parishioners that Living Enrichment Center had a debt of $600,000. Then, in late February of 2004, Mary Manin Morrissey told her congregation that the church's debt was $15 million. A month later, in March of 2004, the congregation was told that the debt had risen to $] ]. Mary Manin Morrissey claimed that the church owed over $10 million on the Wilsonville property which was purchased in the early 1990s for less than $3 million. Others, however, noted that while there had certainly been capital improvements on the Wilsonville property over the more than ten years during which the church had occupied it, there had not been $7 million worth of improvements. |
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After little more than a decade at the expansive Wilsonville property, in the summer of 2004 Living Enrichment Center moved from its Wilsonville lot and returned to its earlier location of Valley Theater in ]. <ref>http://wweek.com/story.php?story=5101/</ref> By the time of the return to Beaverton, as a result of the financial scandal, which gained considerable attention in the Portland, Oregon, media, the LEC congregation had been diminished by 20% or more. Shortly after the return to Valley Theater, Mary Manin Morrissey resigned as senior minister of Living Enrichment Center. In August of 2004, Living Enrichment Center held its final service at the Valley Theater. Mary Manin Morrissey did not attend the final service of the church she had helped to found more than two decades previous. |
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] |
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One member of Rev. Morrissey's congregation, a mentally disabled woman whose affiliation with the church consisted primarily of viewing ] programs on television, claimed Rev. Morrissey encouraged her to invest her lifesavings in stocks the Morrisseys claimed, but turned out not to be, secure.<ref>http://wweek.com/story.php?story=5101/#LOVETHYINVE$TOR</ref> This congregation member claims that Rev. Morrissey made repeated telephone calls requesting the loan. |
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In the spring of 2005, Edward Morrissey accepted a plea bargain with the ]'s Office. As a result of their settlement, neither Edward Morrissey nor Mary Morrissey may sell securities,<ref>http://www.dfcs.oregon.gov/press_releases/morrissey.pdf</ref> and the Morrisseys agreed to undertake a repayment plan wherein all who loaned funds to Living Enrichment Center would be reimbursed. Edward Morrissey also pled guilty to one federal count of ], and admitted to using church money for personal expenses. Allan Garten, assistant U.S. attorney who worked with the investigation team, was quoted as saying that Edward Morrissey "deceived congregants into thinking they were loaning to the church and that their loans were secured," and, "Not only were the loans not secured, but some of the money was also going for the personal use of Mr. Morrissey and his wife." |
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]'s May 19, 2004, cover story.<ref>http://wweek.com/story.php?story=5101</ref>]] |
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Jeff Manning of The Oregonian wrote, "Some former Living Enrichment parishioners were angered that Mary Morrissey eluded federal charges. Mary Morrissey leaned hard on parishioners to make the loans, some said, but she has claimed she had no knowledge of her husband's use of that money." Jeff Manning also reported that Mary Morrissey did not attend her husband's plea hearing in U.S. District Court before Michael W. Mosman. Edward Morrissey was sentenced to 33 months in a medium security federal prison. He began serving his sentence in August 2005.<ref>http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=68625-065&x=33&y=23</ref> |
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The former Wilsonville LEC campus was listed for sale shortly after Living Enrichment Center's closure. In September, 2006, ''Wilsonville Spokesman'' ran a story that claims the former LEC campus was sold to a development company from ]. According to editor Curt Kipp, the property was purchased by a development company which plans to create a retirement community known as "The Grove". Plans may include the demolition of the former LEC building.<ref> Retrieved September 4, 2006</ref> |
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==Department of Consumer and Business Services Settlement== |
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===Announcement=== |
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On April 6, 2005, Department of Consumer and Business Services announced its ] with Mary Manin Morrissey and Edward Morrissey. The settlement was reached in conjunction with the ]'s office in Portland, Oregon. On that same day, the judgment was filed with ] ]. |
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As part of the settlement, neither of the Morrisseys may offer or sell securities. Edward Morrissey agreed to plead guilty to one federal count of ]. The plea agreement reached between Edward Morrissey and the U.S. Attorney’s Office called for the government to recommend a 36-month prison sentence. DCBS alleged violations of state securities laws including unlicensed activity, sale of unregistered products, and fraud in connection with the offer and sale of securities. DCBS contended that many congregants of Living Enrichment Center invested money in ]-note programs and the purchase of ] in entities controlled by either or both of the Morrisseys. Restitution of over $10 million is due to investors. A down payment of $50,000 was to be required by October 15, 2005, with incremental payments due at 90 and 120 days prior to that. |
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An injunction was imposed against Edward Morrissey and Mary Manin Morrissey prohibiting both from selling securities, acting as officers for any issuers, or serving as directors or other officers in nonprofit organizations. Civil penalties totaling $200,000 were imposed, of which $150,000 was suspended so long as the Morrisseys complied with the judgment. The amount not suspended, $50,000, was to be paid in full by December 31, 2005, with incremental payments due 90 to 120 days prior to that.<ref> Retrieved September 3, 2006</ref> |
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{{quotation|''Cases like this one should remind people that basing investment on trust and personal relationships is not a substitute for conducting their own due diligence before investing.''<ref> Retrieved September 3, 2006</ref>}} |
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===Complaint=== |
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In the complaint filed, State of Oregon, Department of Consumer and Business Services, detailed the action resulting in the in loss of congregant loans and investments. In the complaint, it is stated that between 1996 and 2004, the Morrisseys offered and sold unregistered securities and made materially false and misleading statements and omissions concerning those securities. Through these activities, the Morrisseys raised over $10 million. |
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The State of Oregon's complaint states that the Morrisseys took advantage of their unique relationship and position of trust with the Living Enrichment Center congregation. Mary Manin Morrissey and Edward Morrissey asked congregation members and others to transfer assets by representing that their money would be safe and that it would be repaid with interest. Congregation members did transfer assets as requested, although at least some of the statements made by the Morrisseys were not true. While some funds, including interest, have been repaid, a significant number of investors' requests for repayment have gone unanswered or met with requests that the interest be forgiven or donated to Living Enrichment Center. The complaint states that by engaging in the transactions, acts, practices, omissions, the Morrisseys violated ] laws. The State of Oregon claimed that unless ] the Morrisseys are likely to commit similar violations in the future. Many investors and congregants, claims the state, have suffered financially due to the Morrisseys' conversion and inability to repay the amounts owed. |
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The 23-page complaint ends with seven-page list of people who had either loaned money to, or invested in securities controlled by, Mary Manin Morrissey and Edward Morrissey.<ref> Retrieved September 3, 2006</ref> |
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{{quotation|''The State of Oregon claimed that unless ] the Morrisseys are likely to commit similar violations in the future.''<ref> Retrieved September 3, 2006</ref>}} |
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===Judgment=== |
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The Department of Consumer and Business Services Judgment explains that the Morrisseys have been ordered to repay all offerees who loaned money to or otherwise invested money in or through them. The total amount to be repaid is $10,763,507. The Morrisseys are instructed to place repayment in escrow. The 22-page document includes the signatures of both Mary Manin Morrissey and Edward Morrissey.<ref> Retrieved September 3, 2006</ref> |
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===Convenant=== |
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In a three-page document signed by Mary Manin Morrissey, Department of Consumer and Business Services Judgment outlines the agreement made between the Morrisseys. The Convenant is signed only by Mary Manin Morrissey.<ref> Retrieved September 3, 2006</ref> |
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==Post-LEC career== |
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After the 2004 closure of Living Enrichment Center, Mary Morrissey founded several organizations. Initially, she founded "Friends of Mary" and "Success NW", which were both introduced in the lobby of LEC's final service at Valley Theatre on August 24, 2004. Friends of Mary held fundraising events to raise money for Mary Morrissey's legal defense. Both organizations have since become defunct. Mary Morrissey currently operates two organizations, "Evolving Life Ministries" and "Life Soulutions." <ref> Retrieved February 25, 2007</ref> |
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<ref> Retrieved February 25, 2007</ref> On January 17, 2007, in an entry of The It List, ''Willamette Week'' made reference to Mary Morrissey's "Miracle Mastery Conference". The entry on the conference is titled "It's Only a Scam if You Believe It Is": |
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:"''With all of today's buzzwords and inflated promises, where can self-help seekers turn? Enter Mary Manin Morrissey and the 2007 Miracle Mastery Conference (lifesoulutions.com). This is serious straight talk. No mumbo-jumbo, just ''paradigm shifting solutions and positive energy''. Morrissey, who steered her megachurch Living Enrichment Center right into the miracle known as bankruptcy ("The Prophet Margin," WW, May 12, 2004), will explain, in simple down-to-earth terms, how to become "empowered" and "grow your hopes and dreams." If you want to be spoon-fed a quick fix, then this ain't for you—Morrissey invented the "Miracle Minute" one-minute meditations, so clearly she believes life change requires time and energy. At $299—plus an extra $99 for Friday, plus $75 for "preferred seating" and just $50 more to attend the "Wisdom Lunch"—the conference might seem expensive, but with your ''self-actualization'' on the line, can you afford not to attend? Doubletree Hotel Lloyd Center, 1000 NE Multnomah Blvd., 922-3460. 7-9 pm Friday, 9 am-5 pm Saturday, 9 am-1 pm Sunday, Jan. 19-21. $299. All ages.''" <ref> Retrieved February 25, 2007</ref> |
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On June 9, 2007, Jeff Manning of ] commented on Mary Morrissey's post-LEC career, writing that Morrissey is cultivating a career as a freelance spiritual lecturer across throughout the United States, generating a six-figure income. Writes Manning, "But the organization of Morrissey's new company, LifeSoulutions, has prompted questions from the state. As currently organized, Morrissey's partner in the venture receives as much as 40 percent of the operation's revenue, which means it is not subject to the requirement that a portion of it be diverted to the restitution fund. State officials have asked Morrissey for documents detailing the corporate structure of LifeSoulutions. Morrissey told them that on the advice of an attorney, there are no such documents. Nothing was put in writing." <ref></ref> |
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==Online support group== |
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]'' article, written by editor Curt Kipp, which refers to ''LEC World Refugees'' online group.]] |
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Shortly before the closure of Living Enrichment Center in the summer of 2004, Andrew Parodi started a ] called ''''. By the fall of 2006 the group had grown to over 275 members, including former congregation members, Living Enrichment Center employees, ministerial students, Rita Allen Boggs (Mary Manin Morrissey's former sister-in-law), and one minister from LEC's successor church ]. The name ''LEC World Refugees'' is likely a reference to Living Enrichment Center's now defunct ], which was ''<nowiki>http://www.lecworld.org/</nowiki>''.<ref> Retrieved July 27, 2006</ref> Andrew Parodi is a former congregant and employee of Living Enrichment Center. In letters to the editors of '']'' and '']'', Parodi wrote, "Time after time, year after year, anyone who questioned Mary, LEC's financial practices, or any aspect of the way she ran the institution in which she continually proclaimed we were all family, mysteriously disappeared and was never spoken of again. In 1999 when I voiced my concerns about LEC's finances, Mary sent me to see a ] for my 'negative thinking.' The therapist told me that this was a common practice for Mary. Later, after I was told to never return to the grounds again, Mary forbade all her employees from having any contact with me."<ref> Retrieved July 27, 2006</ref><ref> Retrieved August 28, 2006</ref> |
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On October 16, 2006, S. Renee Mitchell, columnist for '']'', referred to ''LEC World Refugees'' in the article "Forgiveness, for minister, starts with self". Mitchell wrote, "A few disillusioned employees started an anti-Morrissey Web site that questions her integrity, her innocence and her lack of accountability for a lavish lifestyle despite her claims of not receiving a paycheck for 10 years."<ref> Oregonian article, retrieved October 16, 2006</ref> |
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On June 5, 2007, Mary Manin Morrissey met with members of LEC World Refugees, where they confronted her face to face with their claims. ''Wilsonville Spokesman'' editor Curt Kipp wrote, "As Morrissey has been making appearances at churches around the country the past few years, LEC World Refugees members have been informing those churches of her unpaid debts and her role in LEC’s collapse. They’ve also been involved in an intermittent war of words with a group of Morrissey’s supporters." <ref> Retrieved June 9, 2007</ref> ], Portland's ] affiliate, covered the face-to-face meeting between the two parties. KOIN wrote that some believe that Mary Manin Morrissey spent much of the church's money on herself. In their online article, the station quoted LEC World Refugees founder Andrew Parodi as saying, "Some people invested their entire life savings in the church, and because of that, they lost money. She encouraged them to invest money in the church, saying it would come back with returns -- gain interest." <ref> Accessed June 6, 2007</ref> |
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===Boggs farm and Campo Azul=== |
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], the migrant camp headquartered on the Boggs family farm. Source: Joe Stark, former manager of the Campo Azul. Photograph originally published at ''LEC World Refugees''.]] |
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On the online discussion group, Rita Allen Boggs, Mary Manin Morrissey's former sister-in-law, wrote, "I agree it was unconscionable of Mary and Haven to turn a blind eye to the conditions of the camp, especially when other community members were providing goods and services to the migrants there. Mary and Haven were no more good stewards of the farm than they were of LEC."<ref> Retrieved August 30, 2006</ref> When asked if the migrant workers were ever invited to services at the church founded on the Boggs farm, Rita Allen Boggs responded, "The migrants were never invited to services because to Mary's mind they didn't exist. So much so that when she hired household help they never came from the camp. To Mary the camp was another world which had nothing to do with her. Nor did any of the migrants ever come to a service, I'm sure they |
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would have been welcomed if they had. Most of them are Catholic and |
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do not speak English so I'm sure it never occurred to them to attend a |
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service. At that time, when the church was meeting in the big house |
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there was a sign out front proclaiming it to be the Living Truth |
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Center. That was the invitation extended to all who wanted to attend. At any rate, the camp's condition really had nothing to do with Mary. |
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For her it didn't exist as long as no one caused her trouble, and the |
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migrants never did trouble her so they were easy to ignore. What the |
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camp did was increase the value of leasing out the berries which kept |
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the farm afloat while Mary and Haven pursued their dreams."<ref> |
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Retrieved August 30, 2006</ref> |
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] |
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Rita Allen, Joe Stark, Mary Manin Morrissey (as Haven's wife), and Living Enrichment Center are all referred to in the April 24, 2000, ] article titled "An Uncertain Future for Migrant Camp".<ref> Retrieved July 27, 2006</ref> Although this article is about the Boggs family farm and ], it does not define nor refer to Mary's past or her involvement with the property. It may be a useful reference, however, as a means of verification of the authenticity of said individuals and their respective roles within the Boggs family farm, Campo Azul migrant camp, and Living Enrichment Center. Additionally, Rita Allen Boggs is referred to in the "acknowledgments" section of "A Miracle in Motion" on page 6.<ref>A Miracle in Motion (ISBN 1-886491-00-3) Retrieved July 27, 2006</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* ] |
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==External links== |
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{{linkfarm}} |
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===Living Enrichment Center internal document=== |
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* |
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===State of Oregon Corporate Securities Findings Regarding Morrissey Investigation=== |
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Documents last accessed on August 2, 2006. |
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===LEC promotional video featuring Mary Manin Morrissey=== |
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Below are links to a promotional video produced by Living Enrichment Center in 2003. The video is called "What the World Now Needs". The video is hosted by Mary Manin Morrissey and features footage of the LEC grounds and services. Congregation testimonials are included. Also featured in the video are ], ], ], ], and many other ] and ] speakers. Also featured is footage of Mary Morrissey with the ], and footage of Mary Morrissey speaking before the ] with ]. The video series ends with a plea from Mary Morrissey to the viewer for donations to the church. Less than a year after production of this video, the church closed due to a financial scandal. |
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* Accessed August 4, 2006 |
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* Accessed August 5, 2006 |
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* Accessed August 6, 2006 |
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* Accessed August 8, 2006 |
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* Accessed August 8, 2006 |
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===Related websites, blogs, and discussion groups=== |
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* |
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* |
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* are Mary Morrissey's current organizations. |
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* is the official site for the interfaith dialogues in which Mary Morrissey participated with the ]. Morrissey is pictured on the front page of this site, holding the Dalai Lama's right hand. |
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* blog entry by Jeff Bull regarding the plea bargain struck with Ed and Mary Morrissey wherein Mary Morrissey did not serve time in prison. |
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===Willamette Week articles about Living Enrichment Center=== |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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] |
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] |
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