THE INVASION AND PRAYER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25566, 20 June 1944, Page 6

THE INVASION AND PRAYER

Sir,—*l desire to draw special attention to the letter from your Sydney correspondent. published on Saturday under the heading “ Sydney subdued.” The letter reports that on receipt of the news of the invasion “ there was a spontaneous movement to the cenotaph,” that Miss Marie Burke led a march there of some 200 servicemen, who joined the crowd as they knelt, recited the Lord’s Prayer, and sang ' Abide With Me.’ On Wednesday thousands of people crowded city and suburban churches, and next day 7000 prayed in the Domain.” A letter received from Melbourne tells a similar story. Wednesday " was a teeming wet day, but the city was very full on account of the invasion services. The Town Hall was packed long before the time, and crowds lined the streets outside, and joined in the singing.” Your report from Wellington said that, on the same day, the Town Hall was crowded with citizens, the Governor-General taking part in the service. The natural question arises after reading all this—why is it that the same reports could not be given of Dunedin? The Bishop, certainly, made an appeal for prayer in the press, and most of the churches mentioned the matter in their regular notices, but so far as I have gathered, with little or no increase in attendances. Certainly there was little evidence that Dunedin was. like Sydney, " subdued,” or at prayer, though doubtless many citizens were so engaged. There was no public or civic' response to the King’s appeal. Now, why was this? The Bishop, and the Council of Churches, as leaders, should be able to tell us. I still, however, have sufficient optimism left to suggest that if they had asked the Mayor to summon a public meeting for prayer in the Town Hall the response would have surprised them, and at least approacned the gatherings in Sydney and elsewhere that gave rise to my question—l am, etc, Dunedin. June 19. Cephas.