CHURCH SERVICES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17982, 26 December 1918, Page 6

CHURCH SERVICES.

,£>HRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL. There were large attendances at all the Christmas services in tno Cathedral yesteruay. Holy Communion was oeicwratcd at 7, 8 and II a.m., the latter Service being' fully choral. The celebrants were 'Bishop Judus, Dean Oa-r----jfingbon, the Aiev iH. M. Whore and the jlev F. G. Brittan. Mozart's Mass in B-liat was sung by the choir, and the ; anthem was fche " Hallelujah Chorus " from Handel's "Messiah." The preacher at the eleven o'clock Eervice was the Bishop, who took as his text j&uke ii., 12: " And this shall be a sign ratto you; ye shaii find the babe wrapped ill swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." What a wonderful contrast there was, said the preacher', between the sign and the thing signified. In this ease the thing signified was the greatest message the world had ever heard, though the sign was only a babe, wrapped in swaddling clothe 3 and lying in a manger. The contrast was just as marked in the early Church. There were the good tidings, preached anywhere, by men without any learning—the outward sign altogether beyond contempt. That was the ' Church's greatest day—when the outward sign was so thin that men could almost penetrate behind it. There came a change, however. No longer was it the shepherds who heard the songs of the angels. The good tidings were taken up by the rulers of the land; in great .cathedrals and gorgeous buildings was ;God worshipped, and eventually they got a body without a soul. Was that gnot true, also, of their national life? Christmas had become a great national .festival. ' It had been taken under the patronage of the State and was bound ', Jip with a great many excellent customs. But as it became a great national festival so the reality of it passed away and the outward sign took the place of the thing signified. Men kept Christmas, but it was a sham. They showed kindness—to their friends —but forgot that brotherly love that they owed to all people. " To-day," continued the preacher, "class hatred is more bitter than for many years .past, because we have not kept Christmas as we ought. Christmas should bring' us out as the pestilence brought .'us out —into each other's homes, to help each other'. Wo • are in peril; the shadow of a great danger—Bolshevism —is hanging over us all. ' Bolshevism means that the. great reality that lies behind Christmas ought to bo expressed. The world has been waiting and asking, ' When are you going to put . Christianity into effect?' " It was just that feeling that had driven men to despair, and in their despair they had turned to brutality and ruin. Bolshevism was coming, as surely "as Christians were not fulfilling their duty to their Lord. They might repress it with armed forces, but it would'come, until the Church and civilisation were blotted out and nothing left but a desert, until* they went back to that first Christmas message—a message which they wanted to hear, not in secret, but to bring into effect. They must look to Christ, poor, helpless and needy, and must be His followers, carrying His message out world-wide.

At evensong a choral: service was hold and Christmas carols were sung. '\ e choir's special contribution was an anthem by Handel. Collections during the day were in aid of St Saviour's Orphanage. A sum of £75 was contributed, and further amounts promised o r i e rJ? xpected to k™£ tne total t 0 aljo »t MOO, the sum which it was hoped to Wise for the institution.

pBOSMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL. L Large .congregations attended the •,«arlv masses in the Roman Catholic :.Oathedral celebrated from 6 a.m: on- ' ward, there being a very great number ©i communicants at each. At 11 am .Mere was Pontifical High Mass, Bishop celebrating. . The Rev Father /-Buckley was assistant priest, the Rev father Long deacon and the Rev. Father Ipogarty subdoacon. the Rev Father ..Kennedy directing the ceremonies. The $£ O] E Tr R . s under tho conductorship of , ,Mr P. Hiscocks. Mr H. Hiscocks presiding at the organ," rendered Haydn's Imperial Mass, the soloists being Mrs -King, Miss M. O'Connor and Messrs ;,Bnttenden and J. R, Hayward. The ■ i Adeste Indoles was rendered at tho -offertory, and the " Halleluia Chorus" ns a recessional. Bishop Brodie, sp'eakWg from the text " Gloria in Excelsis s Deo et in terra- pax homin ibus bona voluntatis" referred to the appropriateness of the Christmas message of peace to this Christmas, when hostili-v-ties had ceased, and preparations were made for a permanent'peace. It was •appropriate moreover to the cessation of the epidemic throughout the country. He trusted that the bereaved ; By war and sickness would derive con;v2£lon :T fro ?\, the m J'st«y of Christ's rtnrth. He gladly as head of the Cathofi!°i"T ? r f • *? thls dio «ese> sent on behalf of his hearers a message of congratulation to their soldiers whose task was nobly done. Before thev would be returning to their homes and •theeongregation would remember them WX s .? nc tuary and oratories were ,'henutifully decorated by the ladies of *H, Al *fr Society under the direction -of Mrs M Laren. The Crib prepared by ..the Sacristan, Mr Frank Gioghegen .occupied one of the side chapels and «,<? rt% i le b £ st in the histor 'y of |the Cathedral. The Crib will be on Aview throughout the Christmas period. Jlie altar boys were present in large I numbers under the direction of the :Manst Brothers. Bishop Brodie paid ). a compliment to the choir and Altar . boraetj sacnsta.ry collectors, and the Other church workers for their valuable services throughout the year™«lL td ß n evenmg there was solemn vespers, Bishop Brodie presiding, and Fogarty officiating. Bishoi> Brodie was the preacher and the sermon was upon the subject of the incarnation and the fulfilment of prophecies. At the concusion of the day's ceremonies tho ■choir was entertained at the Bishop's house bv the Bishop and the clergy, and felicitations were extended upon their services during the day and throughout the year.

ST MARY'S CHURCH. Vtu At \ S \, Gary's Roman■ Cattoolie Church, Manchester Street, the large Congregations were a proof of the peo•P e s devotion to the great festival of Christmas. Masses were celebrated at intervals throughout the mormno- at which hundreds received Holy Communion.. At eleven o'clcock Solemn Hio-h Mass was celebrated by the lic.y Father T. M'Carthy S.M., assisted by Father •Seymour S.M., as deacon, and Father tfoche, S.M., as sub-deacon. The beautiful music of Kaim's Mass was artistically rendercd'by St Mary's choir under the baton of Mr W. T. Ward, hi the 'course of a few remarks the Very Rev 'Dean Regriault spoke of the relation between the coming of Christ and the .blessings of peace. "In many homos Mere were, he said, "vacant chairs, ••but relatives should find consolation in the fact that those who fought well and died well would experience the joys of peace in Heaven." He congratulated the various societies of the parish on ;their achievements and thanked them ; for Vie work they had done. Tire Crib representing the birth of the Saviour at Bethlehem was visited by large num- - hers of people. In the evening .Solemn Benediction of the Most Blessed Saorabrought the ceremonies of the day' to a close. It was preceded by the 'singing of the sacred solo "Nazareth " by Mr R. Lafferty. ■' OTHER ROMAN CATHOLIC , . ~ . CHURCHES. ' l Masses were celebrated yesterday in •the presence of large congregations at the Sacred Heart, Addington, by the Rev Father Long; St Agnes's, Hals•weli, bv'the Rev Father Buckley, St Ann's, 'Wo'oJston, and Our Lady Mary of the Sea, Sumner, by the Rev Father The festival was celebrated

in Mt Magdala by midnight Mass, and tlto inmates woro entertained by tho Rev Mother and Community, the Bishop visiting tho institution during the afternoon. There was midnight Mass at Nazareth House celebrated by the Rev Father Graham, and old and young were treated to the customary Christmas cheer by tho R?v Mother and Community. The Bishop gave his Benediction in the afternoon and addressed the inmates.

Owing to the disorganisation caused by the epidemic, the Clergy Retreat and Synod which were to have been held at the beginning; of tho year have bad to be abandoned.

ST BARNABAS CHURCH, FENDALTON.

The Christmas services at Sb Barnabas Church commenced with a oarol service last Sunday evening. The church was prettily decorated for Christmas Day with white flowers and evergreens, the chancel, communion rails and font being especially attractive. There were four celebrations of Holy Communion during the day. with 255 communicants. Canon Hamilton preached at midday from the text, "The glory of the Lord shone round about thorn " (Luke ii., 9). The Christmas message to soldiers and nurses was read at all services. Special psalms and hymns were heartily sung. The anthem was "Behold, T bring you good tidings of great joy."

KATAPOT,

Kaiapoi business people report that the Christmas trade was bet-ter than for years. On Christmas Eve the streets of the town were .thronged. Not for years has such a crowd been seen in Kaiapoi on a business , evening.

RANGTORA

Following the time-honoured custom, the Anglican Church was tastefully decorated for the Christmas services, which were conducted bv the vicar the Rev F. P. Fendall. Both the early Communion and the morning service were well attended. A service was also held at the Methodist Church by the Rev J. Guy. There was n laree congregation at tho Roman Catholic Church at the eleven o'clock mass, at which the Very Rev Dean Hvland officiated. Tho altar and church wore beautifully decorated with white lilies and other flowers.