The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25
CURES EFFECTED
BY ABSENT HEALER
Belgian ex-Miner Soon Gets
a Large Following.
FAITH is ONLY REQUIREMENT
No Collections Taken, but subserlP-
lions for maintenance of Church
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, the sGoOd Fa-
theF.~ Has Not spoken TO Any One
for More Than Six Months.

| London, Dec 4-Some mention was
made recently of Antonionism. the new
religion founded in Belgium by an ex-
miner named Antoine,
Antoine the Good Father" or the
Parent one, as his followers call him.
| is a man OF sixty-five. with flowing white
| locks and a patriarchal beard. His fol-
I lowers now number 10000, OF whom 300.
| including his wife, the Good Mother, p"
are adopts.
Antoines home is at Temeppe-Lez-
Iiege. Hidden in a block of similar
small houses. the prophets dwelling is
| only conspicuous by the spire of his
church which adjoins It, The door Of
the church Is also the door Of the house
and bears a notice: Ring bell al night
for NJ. Antoine
Uses Telephone 0nly.
For three years Antoine has not left
his house or garden. He lives entirely
on vegetables, which he prepares him
self. He sleeps little, resting for only
two hours during the night. the greater
part OF which he spends walking in his
little garden. which mas electric lamps
fitted up all around the walls. He never
reads anything; he will not see news
paper men, and only holds comrhunica-
ton with the outside world by means Of
the telephone.
tie confines his healing To ceremonies
IN the church where the services are OF
the simplest description. They take place
az 10 o'clock a. m on Monday. Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday, AT 2 o'clock
a. m. the congregation assemblies, and an
. lfartf n "a v.sbffgaar
OF the sects literature. takes his place
al desk under raised platform. There
is complete silence for half an hour, then
NJ Deregnaneourt announces that oper-
atoms VIII take place at certain hours
on certain days. and that all who wish
20 be cured must have perfect faith.
He then continues sitting perfectly
stil not a muscle moving. and his
watery blue eyes hXed In an unblinkng
stare straight before him. At the stroke
of 10 every one rises and the Parent
One enters by a side door and slowly
walks up the steps TO the rostrum.
Service of Two Minutes.
Wearing a black cassock and with his
gray hair falling around his shoulders,
Antoine faces the congregation for a full
minute without moving or uttering a
sound He then lifts his right hand to-
ward them and holds IL thus extended
for another minute That is all. Those
TWO minutes make the service. The
Good Father" walks slowly out the
adept remarks Emery one whose faith
is strong enough must be cured and
the church empties silently No collec-
ton is made. but subscriptions are taken
for tho maintenance of the church. which
Antoine built himself with a legacy OF
5000.
For six months Antoine has not spoken
a word 10 any one. People come at all
hours with all sorts of ailments and ap-
peals. Antoine effects his cures now by
deputy. His wife, or some other adopts,
stands in front Of the applicant and
her hand in the air. which means that
she is invoking Antoine. the healer"
Cures Effected by Faith.
The patient or the patients deputy
then departs. The cure Is effected. or If
il IS not. then there has been a lack Of
faith. There is nothing 10 pay. The
badge of the sect is THE tree Of the
knowledge Of the sight of evil" repre-
scented by a white tree on a black back
ground.
One of Antoines chief disciples is an
American woman. Mrs. Guillaume, who
came over 10 be treated by him for
chalky rheumatism. which compelled
her 10 walk on crutches. She says she
is now practically cured. and has her
self become an adept with power to heal
by faith.
Antoine's power Of second sight, says
Mrs Guilaume, extends TO America, for
he told her that her husband had hurt
his back IN New York. and a week later
letter came from her daughter con-
firming IL, and adding that he had quick
~ got better This, TOO. was IN accord
with what Antoine had told her. for ne
had said that she need not worry about
her husband as he was 'in fiuidic COM
munion" with him, and that he would
soon be better