HALL OF MEMORIES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 98, 27 April 1932, Page 7

HALL OF MEMORIES

UNCONSECRATED SHRINE

;. The.fact that the shrine in the Hall of Memories at the Auckland "War Memorial Museum *has not been consecrated with any religious ceremony Tvas referred to by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, in his speech at the dedication of the Eoll of Honour on Sunday, and/by Archbishop Averill at the-Anzac Day service in the Town. Hall on Monday (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The archbishop also expressed . regret that the- memoriaj. contained no Christian symbol.- *■<

Lord Bledisloe; -mentioned tha subject ■_ in urging his hearers to .seek, when lonely and despondent, the spiritual comradeship of those who had laid down their lives in war. "Especially, perhaps, shall *we do so^?> he1 said, "as we stand or kneel before the beautiful shrine which the Hallgf Memories contains, if, after being railed off and suitably equipped, Jit comes to be consecrated to the Great Ruler of our destinies, to Whom we all owe loyal obedience." "In unveiling the Roll of Honour on Sunday, His Exrr cellency the Governor-General made some remarks about the shrine," said. Archbishop Averill, in his address at the Town Hall. "I, for one, am not very proud or happy about it. . Whei one looks round the war graves in. France and Flanders one cannot help but be impressed by the lines and lines cf crosses. Yet the shrike in our own permanent memorial has-no Christian symbol. "I sincerely hope that improvements will be made to the shrine, and that when these improvements have been carried out the shrine will be consecrated and dedicated. Then people visiting it can-, at least feel that they are standing .of -/kneeling on hoi* ground.'^ ".. ; "',-..,':'^'.';:..; , '