MEMORIAL TO THE DEAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18234, 30 October 1922, Page 8

MEMORIAL TO THE DEAD

ST. ALBAN'S OHURCH TOWER.

BISHOP'S INSPIRING ADDRESS.

The foundation stone of St. Alban's parish memorial tower was laid yesterday afternoon by Bishop Averill in- the presence of a large number of parishioners and othejg. The ceremony took place outside thelmurch, the choir being in attendance, also the St. Alban's troop of Boy Scouts, under the Scoutmaster; Mr. Schofield. Special hymna were eung, and a Scripture lesson read by Archdeacon. MacMurray, tha bishop offering special prayers. Taking as hiß subject the words of stone shall be a witness to you," Bishop Averill said the setting-up of stones for ages past had been one of the world's chief forms of commemoration of great events, great victories, and the foundation stone laid that day would represent to coming generations the gratitude of the people of the pari'th to the men who represented them at the front. "There are many memorials which make me sad," said the bishop. "It seems to me a terrible thing that people should* seek to commemorate the sacrifice and the heroism of the dead by some form ol memorial which will increase the opportunities for pleasure and diversion of thoso who are alive, but it is not so with you. Your memorial will be attached for all time to God's House, and stand as a witness to your fitting recognition of the debt you owe to those Dravo souls who fought and died for you on the field of battle. "We need to be reminded from time to time of what our boys did for their country, what it cost to save us from becoming part of an alien nation, to keep our great inheritance of Empire, and what it oost to maintain the principle of right over might. And we must look upon this stone as a stone of witness as well as of remembrance. Although it ia a witness to the laying down of life by those we held dear, yet, thank God, we do not think of them as lying in lonely but as very near us. Their bodies may lie in the world's battlefields, but they themselves are in God's keeping, safe in His Paradise, and they are nearer to us far than if we went and lived in touts at their graveside." Joshua's stone, continued the bishop, was also one of renewal and doelsion, and this stone must stand for the same thing. "The men gave their lives to end war, to bring in an era of peace," he said. "They have done their part, and taught us that the true meaning of life is service and sacrifice". They hnve left to us a tremendous legacy, the consummation of the work they started, aid it is the duty of every one of us to do our utmost to create such conditions of life that peace shall flourish, and that we shall not feel the sacrifice of life has been in vain. So let this stone be one of decision, signifying allegiance to God, determination to do our utmost to fight every force which makes toward war and strife, and thus to bring in the reign of universal peace for which our soldiers died."