CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. A religious denomination organized in 18'96 by the Rev. John Alexander Dowie, a former minister in Australia. Ile came to the Pacific Coast of the United States, and then to Chicago, Ill., preaching and practicing faith-healing. and soon attracted a large following. While the generally received principles of the Christian religion are taught and the sacraments are observed in the Christian Catholic Church. special prominence is given to the doctrine of the divine cure of disease in answer to prayer, or faith-healing. A united consecration service at the close of the proceedings is a usual feature of their meetings. Baptism is administered to believers by trine immersion. The organization of the Church comprises the general overseer, its chief head (now 31r. Dowie), overseers for the larger dis tricts, and sieventies. Its work is carried on in the three lines. religious, educational. and com mercial. The chief centre of the denominational c.rganization is at Zion City, near Chicago, where large properties have been acquired and where its institutions and business enterprises are situated. Junior schools have been established. The highest
school is Zion College. The cornerstone of a wing of an educational building was laid January 6, 1902. An assembly hall i. contemplated. Among the business enterprises at Zion City are: The Zion Printing and Publishing House. Zion City Bank. Zion general store, anti industries, of which the lace industry is planned on a very large scale. Besides the United States and Canada. the Chris tian Catholic Chore]] is represented in England, Scotland, Ireland. Australia. New Zealand, China, Japan. and time Smith African states. From the first baptism. March 14. 1897, till the end of 1901. 11,847 baptisms had been reported, of which 7239 were in (164:Igo. In 1s9s the de nominations reported three tabernacles, one hun dred halls and mission schools, and four divine healing houses. The organs of the are: Leares of Healing, weekly (Chicago) Little hit, Dorp, weekly (Chicago). Consult: A. Dowie. .1 i'oice from Zion, four volumes of ad dresses ( Ch ieago ) : Zion's Conflict with Methodist Apostasy (('hicago, 1901 ), a treatise against Free 31astiry.