FESTIVAL SERVICES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17288, 2 October 1916, Page 10

FESTIVAL SERVICES.

ST MICHAEL'S AND ALL ANGELS.

BISHOP JULIUS ON THE WAR. The pastoral festival of St Michael's and All Angels' Church was continued yesterday, all tho services Loing largely attended. There were two early celebrations of the Holy Communion, and at eleven o'clock, sung Eucharist, with procession, was held. Canon Wilford was tho preacher. A children's service was held 'ii tho afternoon. In tho evening, festal evensong, with procession, was observed. Bishop Julius preached, taking as his text, " Where two or throe are gathered together in My Name there am I in the midst of them." ilo said that the Biblical messages were to nations rather than to individuals. 'Nations wero not made- Napoleon tried to make nations, but failed. Nations wero burn, and often took a long, long tune to grow up. An example was tho United States, the people oi which wero hot yet a nation. They had not yet a national character, and hud not 'yet found tlicir w<rol. Some nations wero weak, leaning on a stronger nation, or being downtrodden bv another. Lately they had read, or discussed, much of the Gorman boul. The Germans were an ancient nation with a distinctive character and a distinctive soul. Not every German had this sumo character. Somo had tho body but had not iho soul. On tho other hand, some oi tho German people wero of the soul, and not of the body, and these wore very properly interned, or rather, very improperly were not interned. The lust of the Gorman soul had become subject to the body, and it-could be said that the Allies wero now lighting to hammer that body to freo it from that soul. And God grant that the Allies should keep on hammering until they had done their work. Ho held to every word spoken last week bv the groat British statesman, the Hon D. Lloyd Goorgo, but iho speaker vet thought Britons did not pray enough tor tho German odd. ine British character had its influence on tho world. Thero was a British soul, and manv had thought it was in a bad wav, and that the great sorrow that had come upon them was to bring back tho national soul to God. Th; British soul had needed conversion, ami to be turned again towards God. iho coming national mission in England was a rail to every individual to grace, and all parts of the Empire should join together not only on the ibattlcficld but also in the spiritual turning towards God- In tho church thero were people who belonged to the body but not to the soul, and some belonged to tho soul of the church but wero not of tho body. All good Catholics would admit that there wore many men who did not belong to tho church, but still wero saints of God. In conclusion, the Bishop said that St Michael's had a long history, many trials and many successes, and now had its distinct character, and influence on tho world around it. The congregation should not bo satisfied with attending the services simply because I hey enjoyed tho singing, etc., but should become part of the inner life of the parish. He hoped that with the growth of Greater Christ-church .St Michael's Church would prosper and become an increasing power lor good.

ST MARY'S CHURCH, ADDINGTCN-

MEMORIAL TABLET UNVEILED.

The festival services nb St Mary's Church, Addiugtou, yesterday, were largely attended, and formed an appropriate prelude to the commemoration of the jubilee of ■ the church, which will be reached in February next. At tho chief morning service Canon Bean proacned the sermon, choosing as his text " Who then is willing to consecrate his servico to the Lord, this day." He compared tho lavish offerings by tho Israelites for tho builuing of tho*Tcmplo to the difficulty in tnese davs of inducing Christians to subscribe to'tho maintenance and building iunds of their churches. He urged his parishioners to answer tho call to God s service, and said that a perfect heart wa tho best possible gift. . During the servico a tablet was unveiled to the memory of the late Ml Augustus Schwartz, who died in February last. He was for over forty years a prominent worker in the parish, and acted as churchwarden tor over twenty-five years. He also designed part of the present church building. Tho memorial tablet is of brass, and the inscription testifies to the lons labours of tho late Mr Schwartz, the text at the bottom of the tablet readin'--: "He was a good man.' Among those who attended the unveiling ceremony were about fifty members of the Washington Lodge, la/.0.K, of whicl the late Mr Schwartz was the founds and a prominent ollicial. During the day there was a service for children, when an address was given by the Rev J. P. Feron. A military, parade was held- during tho afternoon, at which members of No. 1 Company. New Zealand Engineers, E Battery and the _ Signalling Corps attended, accompanied by tne Regimental Band. In the evening evensong was celebrated, after which was held the customary intercessions for those at the front. , __,