CHURCHES FILLED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 305, 26 December 1944, Page 6

CHURCHES FILLED

CHRISTMAS SERVICES SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Church attendances over Christmas were generally large, and all Churches held special services and preachers gave appropriate addresses. Special Christmas observances began at, or before midnight on Christmas Day in a number of Anglican churches, where carols were sung and Holy Communion celebrated. At a service at All Saints', Ponsonby, there was a large attendance, in spite of heavy rain. At the 11 a.m. service at St. Mary's Cathedrai, the preacher was the Bishop of Auckland, the Right Rev. W. J. Simkin,. The cathedral was decorated in fed a'nd white. The service. held by the Mount Eden Methodist Church was combined with that of the Presbyterian Church, and the preacher was the Rev. J. D. Smith. At St. Andrews' Presbyterian Church decorations included an illuminated Christmas tree, and carols were sung by the junior choir. The Rev. W. Bower Black conducted a well-attended meeting at St. David's Presbyterian Church on Christmas morning. Large congregations attended midnight Masses on Christmas Eve in all Roman Catholic churches, and customary Masses were held on Christmas morning. Solemn Pontifical High Mass was held at midnight at St. Patrick's Cathedral, where Bishop Liston preached the occasional sermon. Devotions were continued on Christmas Day in many of the churches.

The Pitt .Street Methodist, St. James' Presbyterian, Tabernacle Baptist and Beresford Street Congregational Churches held their-com-bined Christmas service this year in the Pitt Street Churchy where there was a large congregation. The service was conducted by the Rev. E. T. Olds, and the preacher was the Rev. Dr. A. Hodge. The Revs. C. L. Welch and R. L. Walker also took part.