Evening star., 1941-12-15
1900 Here Join
In Prayers for
Victory, Peace
Bishop Freeman Leads
United Service at
Cathedral
By JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.


Americas acceptance of the spir-
itual challenge of the second World
War was demonstrated at Washing
ton Cathedral yesterday afternoon,
when more than 5000 members OF
different religious groups united In
a service of prayer for victory ana
peace.
The congregation included scores
of men in uniform as we'll as mothers.
sisters and wives Of men who already
have left for the fighting front.
Beginning with the hymn 20 God,
Our Help in Ages Past" sung as
professional, the sacred program ar
ranged by the Right Rev. James E.
Freeman, Bishop of Washington, in
cluded opening sentences spoken by
the Rev. DR.. Theodore 0. Wedel,
chancellor of the Cathedral, and the
elst Psalm. read by the Rev. DR.. AL
bert Joseph Mccartney. pastor OF
the Covenant First Presbyterian
Church. The lesson, chosen from
the 4Oth chapter of Isaiah, was re-
cited by the Very Rev. Ze Barney T.
Phillips, newly installed Cathedral
dean.
Four Speakers Are Heard.
Four speakers addressed the con-
gregation during the portion of the
service ordinarily reserved for the
sermon. The Rev. DR.. Oscar F.
Blackwelder, president of the Wash
ington Federation OF Churches, ap-
pealed to his hearers to cultivate
courage without hate. I'VE have
come to this hallowed place he
said, "to translate into action the
faith which we express on our
coins, In God We Trust
A similar note was struck by
Rabbi Norman Gerstenfeld, minis
ter of the Washington Hebrew Con-
gregation. who urged return to
the ethical principles of the ancient
fathers and declared: Because our
cause is just. it is our steadfast faith
that the God whose outstretched
arm led us out of bondage into
freedom in ages past will help us
now to vanQuish the hard-hearted
of our own time: but if our cause
is to remain just it is also our
sacred pledge to the generations
still unborn that the victory shall
not be ours but rather Gods. that
1t must be the victory of Gods
righteousness for the people OF this
earth"
The Right Rev. George Algernon
West, bishop of Rangoon in Burma,
a visitor to the Cathedral, assert
ed: These times can be nightly
used by God. In quietneSs and in
shall be- our strength. |
The spirit N unity grows in mo-
ments like these. When the vice.
roy of India asked all the people
to turn to God in prayer, they did
so. Thus we strangers discover the
spirit of neighborliness much as
men in the front line OF battle do.
Isn't this crisis the chance of the
church of Jesus Christi"
Slain Flyers Sonnet Quoted.
Bishop Freeman's address CEN
tered in the quoting of a sonnet
written by John G. Magee, jr. a
pilot officer in the Canadian Air
Force who was reported killed in
active service on Thursday. EX-
planning that the poets father. as
sistant rector of St. Johns Church,
was present in the Cathedral, he
urged that America adopt the ex-
ample of this 19-year-old boy who
put out his hand and touched the
face of God"
The bishops voice broke when
he attempted to quote the verses
printed in The Star Saturday.
with malice toward none and
charity for all" he insisted, I'VE
must win the war not with mere
physical agents, but with an aWak-
ened spiritual power There is one
light in the world that all the forces
of hell could not put out, and by
its beams We must be guided It
is a duty for us to be unified be-
fore Him who has made and pre-
served us a Nation Please, I beg
of you. never think of this house
again except as house of prayer
for all people. In the name of Him
who gave Himself that men might
live. 1 ask that the God of Peace
may fill your hearts, uniting all
races and all classes that His king
dom may come
Vice President and Mrs. Henry A.
Wallace had seats in the great choir
during the service. Others attend
ing included many Government Off
cials. members of Congress, repre-
sentatives of universities and COL
leges, members of the diplomatic
corps, visiting clergy and laity rep
resenting all branches of religion in
hi,