ESTIMATED 20,000 ATTEND CHRISTCHURCH CENTENNIAL SERVICE

Wanganui Chronicle, 18 December 1950, Page 4

ESTIMATED 20,000 ATTEND CHRISTCHURCH CENTENNIAL SERVICE

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night (PA) —The Archbishop of Canterbury (the Most Rev. G. F. Fisher), whose predecessor addressed and blessed the' pilgrims before they left England in* the first four ships, preached the ser- ; mon and offered the same benediction I when a Centennial thanksgiving ser- j vice, attended by 20,000, was held in Christchurch today. Christchurch at its heart was a great open-air cathedral with the city streets forming a long nave and transepts. There the vast congregation from all stations in life gathered to thank God for the blessings of a century and to seek guidance in the days to come. With magnificent pageantry and inspiring prayers, the service recalled the courage of the pioneers, the great institutions which have been built and the religious convictions on which all were founded. The Governor-General, the Prime Minister, members of the Legislature and Diplomatic Corps, and representatives of the Churches, local bodies and hundreds of organisations were among the invited guests, and the congregation included a complete crcss-section of the people of Christchurch. The service was the greatest religious observance ever held in New Zealand, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury it was by far his largest congregation. The crowded Cathedral Square was vividly splashed with colour. There were many uniformed organisations, a large contingent from the university in gowns and coloured hoods, wigged members of the Law Society and other learned professions, Sunday school children with their banners, and many others wearing decorations. The outside choir of 1200 had maroon, blue, red and white robes, the trumpeters who sounded the fanfare wore colourful livery, red coats and blue knee breeches with white stockings and silver-buckled shoes. The ecclesiastical procession made a bright display with coloured robes of the Archbishop and Bishops of the Province of New Zealand. The Archbishop of Canterbury wore the cream mitre and cope, richly embossed in gold and embroidered in many colours, presented to him by Archbishop Kashiro of Japan. His chaplain, bearing the primatal cross of the See ot Canterbury, was a contrasting figure in an enveloping purple cloak. Within the cathedral was equal grandeur. The High Altar and Sanctuary had the warm glow of candles and great banks c? scarlet and white flowers reflected in the gowns and surplices of the choir boys. The cathedral itself was lit by 'brilliant sunshine coming through the many stained-glass memorial windows. After the service the bishops and representatives of other demoninations mounted a special balcony over the west door, where from a small decorated pulpit within sight of nearly all of the great congregation, the Arhcbishop of Canterbury delivered his centennial sermon. After his final blessing the trumpets and organs sounded joyfully and the cathedral bells pealed in thanksgiving