Anniversaries Marked

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32335, 29 June 1970, Page 10

Anniversaries Marked

When parallels were drawn between the parable of the Good Samaritan and the Order of St John, it was sometimes commented that the Samaritan was . i indivdual, whereas the order was a large organisation, but the organisation could be only as good as the individuals which comprised it, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) said yesterday.

Bishop Ashby gave the sermon at the annual church service of the Christchurch subcentre of the St John Ambulance Association and the MidCanterbury sub-district of the St John Ambulance Brigade. As well as marking the annual festival of St John the

Baptist, the patron saint of the order, yesterday’s church service also marked the eighty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the order in New Zealand. The service was held at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Merivale, where the first meeting of the order in New Zealand was held in 1885. Those present yesterday included the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr A. R. Guthrey) and Mrs Guthrey, the Leader of t)ie Opposition (Mr Kirk), and the Town Clerk (Mr M. B. Hayes) and Mrs Hayes The service began with the reception of the colours, and a procession of brigade, subcentre and executive officers of the Priory in New Zealand. Guests were welcomed and

the introductory prayers were delivered by the Archdeacon of Christchurch and Vicar of St Mary’s (the Ven. R. P F. Plaistowe), the first lesson was read by Mr W. A. McAllister, the second lesson was read by the president of the Christchurch sub-centre (Mr J. H. Skinner), and prayers were offered by Canon J. D. Froud. The prayers of the order and the blessing were given by the chaplain to the Priory in New Zealand, the Right Rev. A. K. Warren.

The photograph shows Bishop Ashby leaving the church attended by his chaplain the Rev. M. A. O’Malley. Following are Mr Guthrey and Archdeacon Plaistowe.