WHERE normally bodies would be rocking to the beat instead they were sitting quietly holding rosary beads and murmuring the Hail Mary. The Point Theatre on Saturday afternoon had become a place of prayer.
About 1,000 people were gathered to hear Ms Vassula Ryden, who is described as "one of the great mystic seers of our times". The crowd, a mix of men and women, some nuns, a few priests, a handful of teenagers and children, sat in front of a stage where they looked at a large projected image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ to their right, a smaller picture of the two at the back to the left, an altar with dried flowers in front, a lectern to the side and a band singing hymns.
Entry was free, but during the rosary a collection was made among the audience. Some arrived at 11.30 a.m. for Mass and prayed throughout the day as they waited to be addressed by Ms Ryden.
In the lobby merchandise was on sale, including medallions for £10, books written by Ms Ryden and videos such as Vassula Suffrrs Passion in Poland. Her message is contained in six volumes of True Life in God. These are available in 32 languages. According to the Irish organisers, Ms Ryden earns no money from their sale.
Shortly before 3 p.m. the Orthodox Catholic stood at the lectern. Dressed in a sweater and skirt with long blond hair and a crucifix around her neck, Ms Ryden spoke calmly and with assurance and asked the audience to remain seated for the healing service during which she prayed.
Afterwards Father Ed O'Connor, theologian and professor of Notre Dame University, spoke about the Greek mystic and her message, saying she gets divine intervention in her writings. What she writes would normally only be written by theologians, he said.
Ms Ryden had been "ignorant" of religion until 1985 when she was writing in Bangladesh, where she lives, when she found there was another influence moving her hand and over which she had no control.
Mr Frank Reynolds, chairman of the True Life in God Association Ireland, said that on her last visit to Ireland Ms Ryden had asked that an association be set up here. "She wanted us to set up an association to pray, study scripture, say the rosary and do other good work," he explained.
After Father O'Connor spoke, Ms Ryden addressed her congregation again. And her message was simple. She spoke of these "last times", the times of repentance and mercy - not the end of the world but the end of the reign of Satan - before there is a time for purification. "It is not a time of fear. It is only fearful for those who do not consciously want to be with God."
There have been reports of people seeing the face of Jesus take the place of Ms Ryden in venues around the world, although no such occurrence was evident at the Point Theatre.
There was no weeping or wailing. Afterwards the faithful seemed impressed with the Greek mystic, although some had found the wait a little boring.