CHILDREN’S DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1932, Page 5

CHILDREN’S DAY

DUBLIN CONGRESS ATTENDANCE TOTALS .100,000. (United Press Association—By Electric A' Telegraph—Copyright.) t LONDON, June 25. The Australian Press Association iepreseritative at Dublin says that the Children’s Day at the Eucharistic Congress opened unpromisingly, but later there was brilliant sunshine. 'One hundred thousand school childled,' representing every part of Ireland, heard Archbishop Kelly, of Sydney, Australia, celebrate High Mass at the altar in the Phoenix Park, in

the presence of the Papal legate, Cardinal Lauri.

Later Cardinal Lauri charmingly addressed the children. Then he slowly moved, in an open car, through the lines of the massed children, blessing them ns he passed in the midst oi ringing cheers.

There was a memoiab’.e scene from the semi-circular colonnade flanking the high altar at the Park. The Papal Legate sat on the throne beside the altar, being attended by the mediaeval-ly-uniformed Papal attendants. Three Cardinals sat upon a scarlet and S°ld bench on each side of the altar. The eulonnndft seats were filled by one hundred and thirty Archbishops, while immediately In front there was a solid phlnnx of eight hundred surpliced priests ■ on one side and a speciallytrained choir of two thousand seven hundred white-robed girls on the other side. An impressive touch was also imparted half-way up the altar steps by a line of- smart greenish-khaki uniformed Free State Army officers with their drawn, swords, while at the foot of the steps there were four military trumpeters.

Beyond the inner circle, there was an enormous concourse., .The members of the Free State Ministry sat in a special low pew next to the priests. Then theie came what is described as a layer of adults, then there was a long row of children who were massed like a giant cross, the girls being mostly in white, and the boys in flannels and school blazers; . Each child held a white and yellow , Papal flag, the whole looking like a row of waving daffodils. Loud speakers carried the voices of the speakers far beyond the actual asembly; , . : £f'