Guild of St Raphael

The Guild of St Raphael, founded in 1915, was an organisation within the Anglican church specifically dedicated to promoting, supporting and practicing Christ's ministry of healing as an integral part of the Church. It has expanded to include members from other denominations, and now has over one hundred branches throughout the world. The Guild takes its name from the Book of Tobit, where Saint Raphael is the angel who helps Tobias find his way.

Origins and History

Some internet sources [http://www.kheper.net/topics/Hermeticism/Felkin.html] place the founding of the Guild by some of the members of the Stella Matutina, including Robert Felkin. There is little documentary evidence available to support this assertion outside of the book by Francis X. King, (1989), and he asserts that the Guild rapidly became completely separate from any of the practices of Stella Matutina. The available evidence suggests it never was connected.

Recent minutes (published in the Guild Magazine Chrism, 2006) show that the driving force behind the foundation of the Guild was Miss Caroline Biggs, and in 1915, was the Secretary of the newly formed Guild, with the Reverend Canon R. P. Roseveare of St Paul's Deptford as the first Warden.

By 1920, under Canon Roseveare's Wardenship, the fourth Annual Report gives the membership as 19 priest members, 26 priest associates, 2 lay members and 248 lay associates. The Guild had already penetrated into Africa, Canada, New Zealand, India and China.

A letter to the Times, published in 1933 by Bishop W.W. Hough, Warden of the Guild, notes that "The movement has grown. There are now over 2,000 lay members, and 300 priest members who are practicing spiritual healing in most of the dioceses in the land."

Works

The Guild co-operates with members of the medical profession and others engaged in the work of healing.

Prayer for healing, usually within a liturgical framework, is at the heart of the Guild’s work, which uses anointing with Holy Oil and the Laying on of Hands. Other healing activities include listening, and counselling. Guild practitioners have also written about exorcism. In 1960, the Rev. Henry Cooper, chaplain to the Guild of St. Raphael, argued that successful exorcists are people who know something about psychiatry and work well with doctors. They resort to bell, book and candle only when psychiatrists have given up [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,869837,00.html] .

Periodical

The Guild also published a half-yearly periodical, "Chrism", which looks at different aspects of the healing scene. Past editions have dealt with diverse topics such as Children and Healing, Touch in a Fearful Society, Animals and Healing, A Theology of Health for Today, M.E. (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Dementia, Genetic Engineering and Healing, Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

Wardens

*1915 Reverend Canon R. P. Roseveare of St Paul's Deptford
*1959 Reverend F. S. Sinker, Vicar of Offchurch, diocese of Coventry

Bibliography

*Guild of St. Raphael: The Ministry of Healing. Booklet, 2005
*Henry Cooper, Deliverance and Healing: The Place of Exorcism in the Healing Ministry, London: Guild of Health and Guild of St. Raphael, 1972
*The Priest's Vade Mecum. A Manual for the Visiting of the Sick, 1945, edited by Guild Warden Rev. T.W. Crafter, put forth by the Literature Committee of the Guild of St Raphael.
*Christian Healing: History and Hope by Mary Theresa Webb, 2002
*Psychology and Life by Leslie D. Weatherhead, 1935
*Guild News, March 2006

External links

* [http://www.guild-of-st-raphael.org.uk/ Guild Website]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,869837,00.html Time Article on Exorcism, 1960]
* [http://www.stbreladeschurch.com/Guild.html Guild Website, St Brelade, Jersey]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3818/is_200101/ai_n8942546/print A fresh look at a remarkable document: Exorcism: The report of a commission convened by the Bishop of Exeter]
* [http://www.bristol.anglican.org/gifts_of_healing/gifts_of_healing.htm The Bishop's Advisory Group on the Church's Ministry of Healing, Bristol]
* [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/dementia/chrism.html Book review on Chrism Autumn 2002 number on Dementia]