IM MEMORY OF KITCHENER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2794, 12 June 1916, Page 6

IM MEMORY OF KITCHENER

RELIGIOUS SERVICES FEELING REFERENCES BY THE CLERGY "A HIGHLY-GIFTED MAN." Kitchener memorial services were held throughout the City yesterday. At 10 a.m. tho Wellington Garrison troops, National Reserve, Territorials, Senior Cadets, and nurses assembled at Government Buildings, and, accompanied by bands, marched. up Lambton aloug Willis Street, Dixon Street, ami 'i'ariinaki Street. The route took the procession past various of the churches, and members fell out nt their own places of worship. In alt tho churches special reference was made to tho death of Lord lutchencr, and tho large crowds which attended tho.services were a tribute to the place ho occupied in the hearts of tho peiple. In the evening a service of commemoration •vas held at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral. Tho building was not large enough to hold all who wished to be present. His Excellency the Governor attended, and among others present were: The Prime Minister (Wight Hon. \Y. I'. Massey), Mrs. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward, Lauy Ward, Hon. J. Allen, \V. H. Herries, W. Eraser, A. L. Herdman, Sir I'rancis Bell, the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke), Mrs. Luke, General Eobin, and General Henderson. At Trentham and Peatherston Camps memorial services were held, and on Saturday evening a service was held in tho Miramar Town Hall. At the Synagogue on Saturday morning, the Rev. H. Van Staveren offered prayers for the late Field-Marshal, and the Salvation Army also held special services. ST. PAUL'S. At the commemoration service at St. Paul's the sermon was preached by His Lordship Bishop Sprott. Alluding to the death of Lord lvitcnener, the Bishop siid that a highly-gifted man had passed away in the supreme moment of our need. Kitchener was gone. He had risen, to the highest position in the ' British Army, and had occupied a place of remarkable trust. He did not suppose there liad ever been a man in whom so many nations had been willing to place their confidence. There may have been in him much which was not perfect, but without flattery it could lie said that he expressed the British tradition of the ideal man. There was a British tradition of what made an ideal man, and. His Lordship feared that wo liad been rather forgetting it in. the last few years. The tradition had been to a great degree revived in Kitchener. And if his death served to bring it once again before lis, his death was not in vain.' He could not help thinking that what Tennyson had said of Wellington was truo of Kitchener: Not.onco or twice in our rough island . story

The path of duty was the way to glory. After the sermon the Bishop offered three special prayers as follow: — 1 "Almighty riuuer, Lord of Life and death, we thank Thee for the great gifts of courage,'wisdom, and .power that Thou didst bestow upon Thy servant, Horatio Herbert' Kitchener, now departed this life 1 , and for tho spirit with which Thou didst inspire him faithfully to use those great gitts in the service of King and country. Wo humbly beseech Thee to bestow upon us the like dutiful spirit, that, we, too, in our day and generation, may do true and faithful service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"Almighty God, Lord of na'ions and King of Kings, we we beseech Theo mercifully to behold this our Empire for which our brethren are laying down their lives. Send forth Thy cleansing, healing Spirit into the dark places of its guilt and woe; make it equal to its high trust, reverent in tho use of freedom, just in the exercise of power, generous in the protection, . ofweakness, strong in its trust ill Thee, that so it may be fitted to be the minister of Thy - blessing to all mankind; through Jesus .Christ our Lord. Amen. "0 Heavenly I'ather, whoso Sou out Saviour Christ did weep at the grave of Lazarus his friend: Have compassion upon those on whom the shadow of death has fallen; comfort them with Thy tender mercy; give them sura confidence and trust in Thy care; make them to know that all things work to-' gether lor good to them that love Thee; through the same Jesus Clvrist oui Lord. Ainen." SERVICES AT ST. JOHN'S. At St. John's Church there were, very large congregations, the church being filled to overflowing both morning and evening. In the morning a number of Territorials were present, but tho occasion being tlyo quarterly communion sorvico, Dr. Gibb,.savo iu the prayers, mado no special reference to the'death of Lord .Kitchener. Tho evening service was, however, wholly devoted to commemorating tho departed warrior. Tho anthem was Woodward's, setting of Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar," and at the close of the sermon the Dead March in Saul was played by Mr. Kerry, the church organist. Dr. Gibb's sermon, which was listened to with 'profound attention, was based on the.words: "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?" The discourse set forth in' detail Lord Kitchener's claims to tho honour and gratitude of his fellow-sub-jects. It expressed with deep feeling the eense of the loss incurred by the death of tho great soldier-statesman, but affirmed that this was not the time to indulge in unavailing grief. God buried His workmen;, but carried on His work, and Kitchener himself would have been the first; to condemn any mood that might result in'impairing pur strength for tho great, dreadtul task God has laid upon us. Kitchener did his duty in his great way; let us do ours, however insignificant our position, in the same great spirit. Then all would be well. REFERENCES AT THE BASILICA. At tho Basilica last evening, His Grace Ai'chbishop Redwood mado a feeling reference to tho sudden and tragic death of Earl Kitchener. He said he was glad to oxprcss how. tho Catholic l)ody shared in the grief and consternation of tho wholo British-Empire-at' the loss of so great a uiau, particularly in the grave crisis through which the Empire was passihg. /Earl Kitchener was one'of tho greatest 4 personages produced by the British Empire iu the last century and' in this. It I was regretted that ho uid not livo to see :HJie victory he prepared so hy the formation of that grand Army of over 3,000,000 British soldiers, vell.dnlled and , equipped. That formation was deservedly "called bv tho French "The miracle of Lord Kitcheuer." His' Grace expressed the liopo that a kiud Providence would direct ilie rulers of the British Empire to chooso a man worthy to walk in the footsteps of .the lamented organiser of victory," so that before long wo should rejoice in a final and decisive victory, followed by a lasting peace. After benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the ATchbisliop, tho priests, and the congregation stood whilst the "Dead March in "Saul" was played by the organist.