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When the Extraordinary Hits Home
with a small organ beside them. A large Bible, the King James ver-
sion, sits in front of the podium. In the large room upstairs, there is a
Spiritualist library from which members may borrow.
Like several other Spiritualist congregations in Montreal, the sch is
loosely identified with a particular family and is often referred to as the
Guérins’ church. Michel and his younger brother are both ministers
and have important roles in the church, as do their parents (who came
to Spiritualism through Michel). The sch is governed by an adminis-
trative council of twelve, including the president (Michel), who is re-
sponsible for practical matters such as finances; the pastor, or spiritual
head of the group; and the five ministers (who include two women),
and also a number of mediums and other members. The congrega-
tion comes from all over Montreal, with many living in francophone
working-class neighborhoods, and others in nearby suburbs.^9
Most newcomers discover the Spiritual Church of Healing through
a friend or family member. When several generations of adults are
present, it is usually the children who have influenced their parents
to come. Inevitably, other family members are not interested in or are
even hostile to Spiritualism. Proselytizing is strongly discouraged, and
the church itself is nearly invisible, in its urban setting. There is no tele-
phone, and only a discreet cardboard sign in the doorway marks the
entry to the church. I myself had passed by hundreds of times with-
out noticing it. Significantly, there are no special activities or facili-
ties for children.
Two public services are held at the Spiritual Church on Sunday, with
a healing service in between. Another service is held on Thursday eve-
ning. All services begin with opening prayers, including the Protestant
version of Our Father.^10 Regular services include several hymns; these
are taken from the hymnbook provided some years ago by an Angli-
can minister whose wife, a member of the sch, translated the hymns
into French. The latter include familiar Protestant classics, such as
“Nearer My God to Thee” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Services often include a guided meditation, with imagery suggested by
a medium or apprentice accompanied by instrumental, New Age mu-
sic. This is sometimes replaced by a sermon (a dissertation, in Spiritu-
alist parlance). This is followed by the collection, the blessing of the
