MANSION OF HEALING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 12

MANSION OF HEALING

“A CITY OF PRAYER” DAY AND NIGHT CIRCLES. USE OF A BIG ESTATE. A “City of Prayer” is to be opened next month in the heart of Kent. Voluntary workers will offer prayers on behalf of the sick and needy day and night. Seven blocks of small hamlets each providing accommodation for 150 people are being erected, and it is hoped that prayers will soon bo said for 100,000 people each week. The centre is at Addington Park, West Mailing, and embraces 286 acres of parkland. There is a large house with 40 rooms. In March, 20 harmony prayer chapels had been fitted, in wh..t used to be the stables for thoroughbreds, attached to the house, and more were to be prepared. Behind this scheme is Mr. C. A. Simpson, founder of the Guild of Spiritual Healing, who says he believes that the solution of all problems is in prayer. It is claimed that sickness, drunkenness, drug-taking and even cases which had been given (ip by medical specialists had responded to the prayer treatment. ‘‘This has been ray work for seven years,” Mr. Simpson said in an interview. “During the past few yeans we bought two large houses in Kensington, but they are not large enough, so now we are going to found a city, where prayer circles will be running day and night.” Plan of Publicity. Every doctor in the country is to be sent a list of the benefits and cures derived from the work, and is to be asked to put his serious cases on the list so that prayers may be said for them. Every minister of every denomination is to be invited to tell his parishioners all about the “City of Prayer.” One of the departmental secretaries of the movement is a woman who. it is stated, was told three years ago that she had only three weeks to live, but who is now declared to be fit and well. “People in sorrow, or whose financial position is causing them worry, or who are in need of spiritual uplift, all find comfort in prayer,” she said. “During 1932, 1093 people asked for material help and 73 per cent, got it. We are playing here for 10.000 people every week, and nearly 500 prayers come to our chapel each week.” Addington Park, with its mansions and grounds of 286 acres, has just been taken over by the .Seekers’ Society as the headquarters of their Harmony Prayer Circles for healing. The mansion is being reconditioned, the stabling formerly used for thoroughbreds, will be converted into “cloisterettes,” or small chapels, and many houses will bo built on the estate as homes for those taking part in the prayer circles. The mansion, which has 31 bedrooms, is being restored and renovated. Story of the Society. The story of the society is told by Mrs. K. E. Brodie, of the Seekers’ Society, who will be in charge of Addington Park. It started seven years ago in a room in a poor quarter of London, and eventually had quarters in

Queen’s Gate, Kensington. “Each of our Prayer Circles have seven people,” said Mrs. Brodie, “who pray for between 40 and 50 patients. The people send their names to us, state their diseases, and we pray for them. At present we have about 5000 patients on our books. Many arc being healed—we claim about 75 per cent, healings. The numbers are growing so that we must have somewhere to accommodate the, increasing number of our circles. “Already we havj 20 Harmony Prayer Chapels at Addington Park, which will be opened ceremoniously in May. We use simple prayers, prayers that a child can understand. In doing this we maintain that we are doing what the early Christians did nearly 2000 years ago. In our “city’’ wo shall perhaps build 500 houses in which people who can afford to do so will live. There will be nothing pretentious about the houses. They will be simple residences for those who, having incomes and nothing to do, can assist in the work of healing by taking part in the praver circles. Eventually we hope to bo praying for a million people.” Addington Park nestles close to an

old Norman church founded in the twelfth century. Its peal of bells can be heard across the Rark, which is surrounded by an ancient wall. The mansion borders the main road to Maidstone and has been unoccupied for some years. The estate was purchased by the Seekers’ Society for £13,000, and £2OOO is being spent on the reconditioning and furnishing. A restaurant will bo opened for residents of the houses and guests. There will bo an office staff, and later probably a children’s home, so that poor children from London, may spend holidays at the park. There will be a croquet lawn, tennis courts, putting-green and other amenities. The west front of the mansion is Jacobean. The hall is panelled andl has a fine gallery. Intersecting the park is a stream with waterfalls.