A Healing Place

by Francis MacNutt
Jan/Feb 2008

You now know that we have taken the plunge and purchased beautiful land on the Trout River here in Jacksonville that has 20 build–able acres on which we hope to build a healing center. It is not just that we need more space for our increasing staff (18) and the large number of sick who come seeking Jesus’ healing touch. The deeper reason is that we desire a visible destination as a manifest sign that God still heals his sick children. We look forward to a day when, at the mention of the city of Jacksonville, people will immediately say, “Isn’t that where there is a healing center?”

Throughout my lifetime, I have known about the Catholic healing shrine of Lourdes, at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains in France. In 1975, I even had the chance to visit there for three days and see what happens there, as well as to talk with the head physician of the medical bureau there. (I just found out last week that there are 7,000 healing shrines in Europe.) Even at a time when the numbers of faithful are dwindling in Europe, Lourdes (since 1858) attracts growing numbers of pilgrims — up to 10,000 a day in the summer. The very last international trip (out of more than 100) that the late Pope John Paul II made was to Lourdes, when he was hardly able to hold his head up.

Now today, several dear Protestant friends are leaving for Lourdes, eager to join the pilgrims. These pilgrims march in procession, sing hymns, receive group blessings, and bathe in healing springs that come out of the mountain earth there. These pilgrims testify to a remarkable sense of God’s love there and many also testify to bodily healing. The beautiful place itself is a testimony to God’s love for the sick and his desire to heal his people.

That’s what we believe will happen at our new center — not that we expect to attract nearly as many people, but we believe God has called us to build a sign of his love for his people — a “city of refuge.”

There’s something deep in people that draws them to go on pilgrimages — it has been going on for thousands of years. “If you build it, they will come,” is how they put it in the movie Field of Dreams. Amazingly, people are now making pilgrimages to the farm in Iowa where Field of Dreams was filmed, even though the story was imaginary.

But our dream is real. If we pray, the sick will be healed.

And Jesus will show up.

And so, as we begin our building campaign, we ask you to join us.

Love,
Francis and Judith
With the Board and staff of CHM

Francis MacNutt is a Founding Director and Executive Committee member of CHM. Judith MacNutt is a Founding Director and President of CHM.