IN THE CHURCHES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1941, Page 4

IN THE CHURCHES.

EASTER DEVOTtONS

LARGE CONGREGATIONS

Thousands of communicants thronged

the altars in Anglican and Roman Catholic churches from an early hour yesterday morning, and at later services in churches of all denominations there were large congregations, when the message of Easter was proclaimed. At St. Mary's Cathedral Church Communion was observed hourly, and at. 10 a.m. a children's service was conducted by the Kev. K. 1». Clark. Archbishop Averill was the preacher in the morning, and in the evening Bishop Simkin. In many Anglican and other churches special Knstcr mu«ic was rendered in the evening.

In the course of a sermon at St

David's Presbyterian Church yesterday morning the Kev. \V. Bower Black said there was no message that could help men more than the. me>sage of the living and victorious Christ. Men needed a new grip of life, a new vision and a new ]>ower. He knew of nothing that would meet those needs so fully and effectually as the message of Easter.

Holy Mass was celebrated at intervals from 0 a.m. in St. Patrick's Cathdral. with large numbers of Easter communicants, two priests being required at each Mass to distribute Holy Communion. Bishop Liston was the preacher at solemn Pontifical Mass at 11 a.m. Yugoslavs attended a special Mass, when prayers were offered for Divine blessing on their fatherland and countrymen in the present hour of tribulation. The cathedral was full in the evening, when the wellknown Franciscan friar, Father Phillip Murphy, preached on the Resurrection, before solemn Pontifical Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Easter camps organised by the churches for their young people are being held, and yesterday the programmes were in keeping with the place the day holds in the Christian calendar.