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Rosicrucian Fellowship Temple
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The Ecclesia Healing Temple at Mount Ecclesia
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| Location: | Oceanside, California |
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| Built: | (1914) 1920 |
| Architect: | Cramer, Lester (New York) |
| Architectural style: | Mission/Spanish revival, Greek/Roman styles, Other |
| Governing body: | Non-profit organization |
| NRHP Reference#: |
95000390 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | April 07, 1995 |
Mount Ecclesia is the location of the international headquarters of the fraternal and service organization The Rosicrucian Fellowship, located on grounds in Oceanside, California[2]. It is also the location of its spiritual temple, called "The Ecclesia", situated upon the promontory of a high mesa.
On April 7, 1995, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Rosicrucian Fellowship Temple.
The Rosicrucian Fellowship observes the basic condition, set by its founder Max Heindel, that no price, membership dues or fees, should be put on its teachings. The Fellowship's funding and maintenance is achieved through the voluntary giving of members and friends and with the assistance of volunteer workers. Mount Ecclesia seeks to become a Spiritual Center in the world, as an effort:
| “ | to unite and harmonize each with the others by teaching a religion that is both scientific and artistic, and to gather all churches into one great Christian Brotherhood.[3] | ” |
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Mount Ecclesia was launched on October 28, 1911, through a ceremony of ground-breaking which consisted in planting a large Cross with the initials C.R.C. — representing the symbolical name Christian Rose Cross, the Head of the Order of the Rose Cross (Rosicrucian Order) — painted in gilt letters on the three upper ends and with a climbing rose. An excerpt of the first hand description of the mentioned event is as following:
On the 27th, Mrs. Heindel and I started for Oceanside, nearly exhausted from the strain of packing and moving. The first rain of the season was falling, and we felt some apprehension concerning the effect on the ceremony; but as we looked toward the almost cloud-hidden mountains in the east, we beheld the largest, most glorious rainbow we had ever seen--a double rainbow in fact--and it's [sic] southern foot seemed to stand directly upon Mount Ecclesia.Our responsibility to aid thousands of weary hearts to bravely bear their burdens has often seemed beyond our strength; yet always have we found our powers renewed by looking within; and this time it seemed as if all Nature wanted to cheer us and was saying: "Take courage, remember the Work is not yours but God's; trust entirely in Him; He will point the way." So we clasped hands and took heart with new strength to carry on the beautiful work of which Mount Ecclesia is to be the center.
The day of the ceremony was an ideal California day; the sun shone in a cloudless sky. Wherever we looked from Mount Ecclesia, ocean, valleys, and mountains seemed to smile. Both the workers and visiting members were enraptured with the incomparable beauty of the Headquarters site. Those present were: Annie R. Atwood, of San Diego; Ruth E. Beach, of Portland, Ore.; Rachel M. Cunningham, Rudolf Miller, and John Adams, of Los Angeles; George Kramer, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Wm. M. Patterson, of Seattle, Wash.; Mrs. Heindel and myself.
At the appointed time I broke ground for the building. All helped to excavate for the cross, which was set by Wm. Patterson. Mrs. Heindel planted the rose, which was then watered by all present. May it grow, may it bloom, to adorn the nakedness of the cross and be an inspiration to purity of life that will cover all past sins, no matter how dark the life may have been.[4]
The Healing Temple "The Ecclesia" was erected, for the purpose of affording more powerful means for the healing of disease, and dedicated on December 25, 1920. Spiritual Healing meetings are held in this holy place at a regular time each day by the Probationers who have consecrated their lives to this work.
As in all the solar temples, "The Ecclesia" portal is facing east (the rising sun). In front of the portal stand two palm trees. The portal is constituted by an triangular-shaped structure upon two round columns. At the centre of the triangular surface there's an equilateral triangle, symbol of Trinity, inscribed by “the eye of God.” The columns fuse Greek (Ionic, Doric and Corinthian) and Roman (Tuscan and composite) styles, each one with a capital crowned by a finial globe. There are three steps between the columns leading to the Temple entrance. At the entrance there are two square pilasters stading from the Temple walls, each showing two faces. The round 12-sided building architecture is composed by round arches and narrow round inward windows. Its great dome is composed by a cupola crowned by a golden globe with a finial of lights. The inner portal and the Temple's interior is ornamented with alchemical and astrological symbols. It is a solar temple dedicated to the coming Age of Aquarius.
On June 29, 1920 (from 11:55 A. M. until 12:02 P. M.), the vision of an event of Spiritual nature at ground's site was reported as following:
| “ | Around or over the place where the ground was being broken for the Ecclesia were four large search lights. They faced north, south, east, and west. The one facing south seemed to be situated about seven feet from the one facing north. The same was true of the two facing east and west. This made a circle, the diameter of which was about seven feet.
The faces of the search lights appeared about twelve inches in diameter. The one facing south was the first to radiate light, next the one to the east, then the west, and lastly the one facing north. The light was pure white and radiated in such a way that at about fifty paces the rays from each fused with those to either side of it, so that beyond this point all space was flooded with a light of great brilliancy. Then from out the place where the ground was broken, within the circle made by the search-lights a rich golden colored cloud formed. It grew rapidly and after passing and enclosing the search lights, it tinted every ray emanating therefrom. Then all that was brilliantly white became softened and mellowed, and the whole space became an entrancing vision. At this moment a rainbow over-arched the place, one end resting upon the ground to the east, the other upon the ground to the west. In another moment beneath the arched rainbow out from where the ground was broken and from whence the cloud of gold had come, came a cloud of blue, the Ray of the Father, the Healing Ray; it enveloped the earth and filled the firmament. Then all passed away. At this instant in our midst appeared the All-Seeing Eye. Then it vanished and our prayers ceased, our purpose having been accomplished.[5] |
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On July 23, 1920 (at noon), during the laying of the cornerstone in the north-eastern corner of the temple, the purpose of The Ecclesia was stated in accordance to the commands of Christ, namely, "Preach the gospel and heal the sick":
| “ | This work of Christian spiritual healing is one of the methods of serving suffering humanity, by offering to the true physician a means of uniting the power of science with that of religion. The Rosicrucian Fellowship calls out to the TRUE physician, the physician who is not ashamed to pray for his patients while he works for them. Christ Jesus said, "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE." Yet how many physicians and sorely suffering patients have neglected to invite Him to help. There is a way to invoke that divine outpouring, just as there is a way for doing each thing we do. That WAY demands preparation, purification, dedication, consecration, and that is part of the work of the Rosicrucian.
The Rosicrucians do not seek temporal power. They seek to serve God by helping their suffering fellowmen. A place of training for the work is beautifully attained in Mount Ecclesia, and now THE ECCLESIA, the TEMPLE OF HEALING, is being built by the loving free-will offerings of friends who give not money alone but personal service and prayers. This method of building is a little new and somewhat slow in these days, as it is not permitted to call out to the world for funds or labor. Each offering must come as a result of the inner promptings of the HEART. Christ's stronghold.[6] |
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On December 25, 1938, the Rosicrucian Fellowship opened a Sanitarium building[7] which was used for a number of years to treat patients suffering from non-contagious diseases. Nearly since its inception the Fellowship has been providing, on a love offering basis, the service of Spiritual Healing; the first service took place on June 23, 1914. Currently, the healing applications are received by the Fellowship's centers worldwide or directly by the Healing Department at Mount Ecclesia.
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